Destination Voyager
by Winter Lady
Summary: Could the pyramid in the Voyager Cluster hold the key to finding the reapers? What else would be discovered? Only one way to find out. Sequel to New Discoveries. FemShep x Liara
1. Chapter 1

_This is a follow on to the story New Discoveries. I'm continuing to write these stories as episodes in a larger story. I'd appreciate feedback on this format as well as the story._

_All characters, etc belong to Bioware._

* * *

Destination Voyager

Commander Shepard stood to the left of Joker as he initiated the lift off sequence. As the Normandy pulled away from the Citadel bay, the spectre breathed a sigh of relief.

"Feels good to be off," the pilot commented, his words echoing her thoughts.

"But, Hades Gamma?" he asked.

"I thought we were going to Ilos."

"Eventually, but first we have to lose ourselves," she responded, her thoughts elsewhere.

Everyone was aboard, billeted down and assigned their specific tasks. Dr. Chakwas had graciously given up the med bay lab and storage area. It had quickly been transformed into a science lab, a high level of activity already underway as the research team formulated their plans. The med bay was not as quiet as it once had been. Shepard smiled as she thought back to the assignment of space.

"Pressly and I have found every inch of available space on this ship and have it allocated. Everyone should have enough room to get their jobs done and coexist while we are on board," the spectre had explained the new layout to her research team leader.

"Where will my team work while we are on the ship?" Liara asked curiously, following the commander through the med bay to the far door.

"Look here, the storage area has been refurbished with desk space and terminals to support your whole team," Shepard replied, watching for the asari's reaction.

"Oh, this is an excellent area to work in," Liara's dejected tone betrayed her feelings.

The asari had come to regard that spot as her own, sharing it with her team was not something she relished. She was also not accustomed to having many people around constantly. She quietly resigned herself to the situation, barely paying attention to the commander.

"However, leaders usually need their own space," the spectre continued, walking back through the med bay toward the center of the ship.

The doctor's interest perked up as she followed the commander to a familiar door. Shepard pushed the control to her quarters and ushered the asari through the open door. She couldn't resist a smile at the asari's delighted response when she saw the second desk and terminal in the commander's cabin.

"Of course, I may need to evict you every now and then, but with all the time we'll have to spend together keeping the teams in sync, I thought this arrangement might suit you."

Liara spun around and threw her arms around the spectre's neck, dragging her into a smothering embrace.

"Guess this means you like it?" the commander whispered into the doctor's ear.

"How could I not?" Liara responded.

"But I am not sure I will be able to concentrate, I may get distracted."

"We'll have to work on that then for both of our sakes," the spectre replied, pulling Liara into a passionate kiss.

"But not quite yet," Shepard breathed as she guided the asari to her bunk.

"Um, Commander?" Joker's voice brought Shepard back to the present.

"Sorry, Joker, my mind was on something else," she apologized, her color rising at the details of the memory.

"Sure, ma'am, whatever" her pilot mumbled.

"I was just saying that the chief and Dr. T'soni are both looking for you," he continued.

"The doc was acting very excited and the chief looked like she was about to bite someone. You decide who you want to see."

"Thanks Joker, I'll keep that in mind. Please have them both meet me in the comm room."

"Yes, ma'am" he responded, shaking his head.

"Guess that's why you're the spectre," Shepard just grinned at her pilot as she turned and left.

The commander had just powered up the front extranet terminal when Liara burst through the doors, the exuberance in her eyes confirming Joker's assessment.

"That girl's cognitive powers are amazing!" she gushed, her works coming quickly as she gained the spectre's attention.

"I take it you're referring to Rayn?" the commander asked.

At the mention of her name, the girl materialized through the door, with a furious gunnery chief close behind. The marine's blazing eyes caught Shepard's as the three all started speaking at once.

"Enough!" the commander's battle honed voice brought a quick stop to the chaos that had erupted and she motioned them all to seats.

"Ashley, you first," Shepard commanded.

"Yes, ma'am," the chief's tone held barely suppressed anger.

"This whelp has been deceiving us," she accused, tossing a small cube to the spectre.

"She's no biotic," Ashley continued.

"She was lying all the time. I'm glad we'll be dropping her off before we continue on the mission."

"I can explain, "Rayn quickly responded.

"And what do you mean you're dropping me off?"

"Care to tell me what this is?" Shepard asked, tossing the cube in the air while watching the girl's face.

Rayn's eyes anxiously traced the cube's flight and the child breathed a sigh of relief when the spectre effortlessly snatched the cube from its downward path.

"It's mine, I built it." Rayn answered, eager to have it returned.

"It gives off what feels like a biotic push," the chief explained.

"She's been using it to make us think she was talented. She's no more a biotic than I am," Ashley seemed to calm down a bit, the accusation off her chest.

"The Matriarch told us you were a biotic, Rayn. Why the deception?" Shepard quietly asked the girl, catching her eyes with a piercing stare.

Rayn looked down, unable to bear the spectre's scrutiny.

"She thought you wouldn't take me unless you thought I could take care of myself," the young human seemed close to tears.

"But I did build it; I based the design on data I extracted from a Prothean disc. It seems to work well enough in small amounts, but I haven't been able to build a functioning one in larger dimensions yet."

"Anyway, what's the difference if I have the power, or I build it?" Rayn said defensively.

"Because of this, " Ashley growled, snatching the girl by her ankles and holding her dangling.

"Use your power now," she challenged.

Rayn's face fell as she realized her vulnerability without the cube in hand. The chief looked in her eyes and gently flipped her upright, lowering her to the ground in one graceful move.

"But Commander," Liara finally spoke up, "perhaps there is a way that she can remain with us longer. We need her for our study."

"I'm sorry; Dr. T'Soni," the spectre replied seriously, "but we cannot take this child into uncontrolled territory."

"Then it is very advantageous that her discovery will keep us within our own boundaries," the asari added smugly.

"This child has begun to decode the Prothean data discs that we have been collecting in our travels. Rayn," the asari addressed the girl directly, "please tell the commander what you have discovered."

With all attention turned her way, the youngster seemed to forcibly gather her courage before continuing.

"I started looking for any references to the Reapers or to Sovereign. There were hints that there is more data within the Prothean pyramids. So I went to work on those too," the girl continued, her confidence growing.

"I can open them, I deciphered the key. The most likely one will be on Binthu in the Voyager Cluster."

"But please, you must take me with you," Rayn's voice took on a pleading tone.

"I want to help, don't make me go back," she added quietly.

The commander crouched down, bringing herself to Rayn's eye level.

"Anything else we need to know, Rayn?" the spectre asked.

The child could not meet the commander's gaze. "I think I'm in trouble too, that's why the Matriarch wanted me gone."

"We need to know the truth, Rayn, if we're going to be able to protect you," Shepard's voice had taken on a soothing tone as she tried to get the girl to open up.

"I think I know who the Shadow Broker is, or at least one of them. I didn't realize he'd be so quick to respond," her voice quivered as she tried to maintain control.

"I sent a message from one of my friend's portable extranet terminals, you know, the ones with no long term memory? I thought that would be safe," Rayn took a deep breath, then continued.

"We didn't even know he had left the University. The Citadel patrol found his body near the Financial District, his terminal was gone."

Tears started to fall.

"He was always nice to me. It was all my fault. And I'll be next," Ashley grabbed the girl in a bear hug as she started to sob.

"Take her to see Dr. Chakwas, Ash, I'll catch up with you."

The chief gathered up the small girl and headed out the door. Shepard could hear her murmuring comfort as they left.

Flipping the cube from one hand to the other, the spectre's mind was made up as her eyes met Liara's.

"What now, Commander?" the asari's quiet question seemed loud in the silence.

"We see what's on Binthu and keep her safe," Shepard quickly answered.

As she headed for galaxy map to change course, the spectre felt energized as her mind formulated plans. Finally, the hunt was on.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"Approaching relay in 5-4-3..." Joker announced.

Standing at his side, Shepard prepared for the slight disorientation that accompanied the jump through the mass relay. After all this time, she still dreaded that feeling.

"You know, I think I can handle getting us there, Commander," the pilot quipped.

"What's the matter, Joker, I make you nervous?" Shepard teased back.

Grinning, he uncharacteristically held his tongue, not wanting to admit how close to the truth that really was.

"OK, can't have you diving into an asteroid, I'll leave you alone," she turned, smirking and headed toward the stairs leaving her pilot again just shaking his head.

"Oh and I need Liara and the ground team in the comm room in 15 minutes," the commander added.

"Yes, ma'am" Joker replied.

Shepard exchanged greetings with the crew she passed as she made her way to the med bay. She hoped to tie up a couple of loose ends before the meeting with her team. Dr. Chakwas was standing outside the door, quietly conversing with one of the crew. As the commander approached, the conversation quickly ended and the doctor watched with an amused expression as the ensign smarty saluted and bolted away.

"Am I interrupting something, Doctor?" the spectre asked.

"Of course not, Commander," Chakwas quipped.

"The crew have had some adjustments to make with their new shipmates, but they're working through it."

"Anything I should know about?" if it weren't for the grin on the doctor's face and the amusement in her voice, Shepard may have been concerned.

"No, Ma'am, nothing you should know about," the doctor's answered smoothly.

"So, how's our young patient?" the spectre asked, switching gears as she broached the subject she had come for.

"Physically, she's fine, mentally, a bit stressed, but you could do much to ease that," Dr. Chakwas commented quietly.

"What does this have to do with me?" the spectre returned, not liking the way the doctor was spinning this.

"She is concerned that you will send her back to the University. Extremely frightened by that possibility, I would say."

"I guess I'll go have a chat with her, then," Shepard turned toward the door, not expecting the doctor's response.

Ignoring the spectre's unspoken request, the doctor continued to block the door to the med bay.

"Well, Commander?" Chakwas asked, "is she staying?"

"Is there a specific reason you're asking?" the spectre challenged.

"Just preparing for the reaction you will be getting, ma'am, that's all."

"I guess you'll know after I speak to her then, doctor," the commander retorted ambiguously, brushing past the startled doctor as she entered the med bay.

Rayn was sitting on the second bunk, feet dangling and eyes on the floor. She seemed startled at the swish of the door and quickly glanced at the specter before averting her gaze.

"Mind if I sit here?" the commander asked softly, sitting next to the girl on the raised bed.

"Guess not, it's your ship," came the terse reply.

The young human kept her eyes down and was surprised when the spectre gently raised her chin, forcing their eyes to meet.

"Rayn, can I trust you?" Shepard asked quietly, looking deeply into the girl's eyes.

She knew the response before a word was spoken. Without breaking eye contact, Rayn nodded slightly and the spectre saw the determination in the young soul.

"Here's the deal then, you stay with our expedition, but you do nothing without my direct permission. That includes talking to anyone outside our team and working on any side projects, " the spectre paused to let the terms sink in.

"Well, do we have an agreement?"

Rayn's expression grew serious as she considered.

"Dr. Aemilia will not be happy about that. She definitely wanted me to let her know what was happening," there was only a slight hesitation before the girl came to a decision.

"Commander, I do want to be a part of this, but if I agree, then I can't go back to University, maybe ever," Rayn's voice faltered a bit as she continued.

"I don't have anywhere else to go."

"You belong with a human family anyway, Rayn. I'll make sure we get you settled once this is over," Shepard promised.

"I guess then I'll have to trust you too, Commander," the youth said softly, her eyes meeting the spectre.

"I agree."

Shepard smiled and hugged the girl sealing their deal.

"Then here's what we're going to do," the commander leaned close and whispered her plan into an attentive ear.

As she continued, the seriousness was replaced by a grin as the ideas began flooding the gifted young scientist's mind. Rayn practically jumped off the bed and headed to the back room, eager to begin her new assignment. One goal accomplished, the specter sighed and got up. She had not yet reached the door when it swished open and a concerned doctor entered. Chakwas quickly surveyed the situation, relaxing as she saw that Rayn had returned to her team.

"So I take it your conversation went well, Commander?" the doctor inquired.

"Yes, Rayn and I have an agreement and I know she will keep her part of the bargain. If everything else today goes as smoothly, I'll be fortunate. See you later Doc."

Shepard made a quick exit before the doctor could comment and headed to the comm room. She knew that this meeting would not be as easy.

The buzz of conversation died off as she entered the room. A quick glance around confirmed that everyone was present. She didn't want to prolong this any more than necessary. This was not a team to sit around idle in meetings.

"Tomorrow we will reach Binthu," she began, immediately seizing their attention.

"I want to be sure everyone knows what I will expect of them. This mission breaks new ground for us. We don't exactly have an exploration class ship and we don't want a lot of attention. I'd like to move quickly, collect what we can, then get to somewhere more controlled to go through it," Shepard continued quickly, not giving them a chance yet to slow her down with questions.

"Liara, no more than 5 days. That may even be too long."

"Very well, Commander," the asari replied after a brief hesitation, clearly surprised by the announcement.

"But my team was hoping to conduct a more comprehensive study of the pyramid," the doctor was agitated by the spectre's approach.

"If I may ask, why the secrecy? Why the rush?" T'Soni asked.

"Everyone knows what we're searching for and I can't believe that anyone would want to prevent us from reaching our goal."

"Just because Sovereign's not out there anymore doesn't mean the Geth have given up. I'd rather they didn't even know where we're looking," the spectre responded.

The krogan shifted in his seat, uncomfortable even in the largest chair the human ship had to offer.

"I didn't come along to run and hide, Shepard," he growled.

"Don't worry, Wrex, I'm sure you'll get a chance to play," the commander answered smoothly.

"I will meet with my team to modify our strategy," the scientist was still reluctant and tentatively met the spectre's eyes.

The commander tried to convey a different message, assurance as well as an invitation in a glance. The commander then turned to the gunnery chief, bracing for her reaction.

"Ashley, you're with Liara's team. I want you to keep the kid out of trouble."

The marine's eyes blazed but she kept her voice level. "I'm sure Liara can handle that, Commander."

"I'm sure she could, but she may have her hands full with the task at hand. Your charge is to keep them safe," the spectre's tone had an air of finality that ended the discussion.

From the look on Ashley's face though, it only meant that it would continue in private. She was too professional to ever question an order in front of an audience. And too much of a friend to ever just let it be.

"Garrus and Wrex, you'll be with me groundside in the Mako. We'll make sure the area is clear and see what else the planet has to offer. "

Glancing at T'Soni, she added "We'll make sure you have your quality time with the pyramid."

"Shi'ala will stay on the Normandy to provide both our teams with data and to investigate any other Prothean artifacts we come across."

Liara looked up at that announcement. "I had assumed she would be with the research team," the doctor commented quietly, a questioning look in her eye.

"I wanted to round out the teams," the specter explained. "That way we can deal with any situations that come our way."

"Any questions?" the tone of the commander's voice did not welcome responses and the team began to file out of the room.

As expected, Ashley and Liara remained behind.

Both were cautious, but as usual, Ashley spit out her thoughts.

"I belong with the ground team, not babysitting some scientists."

Surprisingly, Liara nodded her head, quietly adding "I would rather you had the chief at your side. You do tend to take some unnecessary risks."

Looking at the concerned expressions, Shepard's countenance and her voice softened.

"Ashley, I need you to take care of her for me," the spectre said, her gaze lingering on the asari.

"You're the one I trust the most to do that. I have to know she's safe."

Definitely not the response she anticipated, the tough gunnery chief was at a momentary loss for words.

"I can do that, Commander, " she sputtered and turned quickly, leaving the room.

The room's two remaining occupants stepped closer, both hesitant on breaking the silence.

"Then how will I know that you are safe?" the asari breathed quietly, taking the spectre's hands in her own.

"Guess you'll just have to trust me, Li," the commander smirked, leaning in to steal a kiss.

"You better go prepare your team, we can continue this discussion tonight."

The unspoken promise brought a quick smile to the asari's face, but did little to ease her anxiety. She slowly disengaged and touched the door control, leaving the commander deep in thought.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"Hello, Doctor," Liara nodded her head in greeting as she walked through the med bay to the rear door.

"All ready for your planetside adventure?" Dr. Chakwas asked the asari.

"I hope to be able to answer that later on today. We have much work to do," Liara responded as she punched the door control.

Four heads turned her way as she entered the room. Each face told a different story. Pravin wore his usual indignant sneer, but a tinge of anger seemed to be mixed in. He jumped to his feet, eager to intercept the asari before she could speak, but was stopped in mid leap by a gentle biotic push that landed him squarely back in his seat. Liara had little patience for his antics today.

Teagan and Shiala shared a bemused look then lowered their heads, unsuccessfully trying to hide their enjoyment of his startled expression.

Orran looked indecisive, not sure whether to be concerned by her action.

"We have been given our orders," she began, now having almost everyone's attention.

Only Rayn, busily working in the corner she called her own, did not even glance up.

"The commander wants this to be a quick hit and run mission. We will have 5 days to get in there, study or take what we can, then return to the ship."

"That is preposterous!" Pravin exclaimed, having overcome his surprise.

Liara ignored his outburst, not wanting to begin an argument with the salarian. Especially when she agreed with his sentiment. While she understood Shepard's concern, it was difficult to pass up an opportunity like the one we they were to experience.

"Enough, Pravin," she snapped.

"A chance of a lifetime and we are given 5 days!" he exclaimed.

"Well I guess that's the challenge for us, then," Orran rejoined.

"We do not even know what we will find when we open the pyramid. We can always return if we need to, can we not?" Shiala added.

"Shiala, the commander would like you to remain with the Normandy, to be able to support her ground team as well."

Liara again, did not wholly agree with the spectre, but conveyed her orders. Shiala just nodded her head, a puzzled expression crossing her face.

"I am not sure I understand what I am to do, Dr. Tsoni, but I will serve where ever I am needed," Shiala replied.

"We should revise our plans given our new timeframe. Rayn..."

Liara finally realized that the young human was not paying attention to their conversation at all. She was fully absorbed in her work, building a small device. Liara looked questioningly at the other scientists.

"She's been at that all day," Teagan offered.

"Rayn, " she called with a bit louder.

"Hello, Dr. Tsoni," the young girl smiled.

"Rayn, we need you," the doctor said gently.

"But the commander wanted me to do this. I'm almost finished," she said with a grin.

"You can finish later, now we have to finish our plans."

"OK, why do we have to change our plan?" Rayn asked innocently.

Teagan just laughed. "You really weren't listening at all, were you little one?"

"Um, I was concentrating," she replied with a guilty look.

"Our leader here is only giving us 5 days to explore the pyramid," Pravin snapped.

Liara's sharp look quieted him before he could comment further. She had found that trying to reason with him got her nowhere. Displays of her biotic power were the only thing he seemed to respect. She had never had to resort to intimidation to get a point across, but she was quickly learning that a leader had to use whatever talents she possessed to get the job done. Shepard was teaching her more than a few skills.

"Commander Shepard is concerned that we keep this secret," Liara explained.

"If that's what the commander wants, then we'll just have to be quick about it. No problem."

It seemed so simple from Rayn's point of view.

"Exactly. Now, about that new plan..."

Liara engaged the team and directed their conversation. She was careful to include everyone, especially Pravin. He had excellent ideas, once his mind engaged and his ego receded. After an exhausting afternoon, she finally felt comfortable that they had a workable plan. She sent them all off to a late dinner with instructions to get their gear packed before turning in.

She pushed the fatigue to the back of her mind and went off to find Ashley. She knew the chief was not happy about her assignment, but wanted to speak to her anyway. Liara headed down to the weapons lockers, finding the marine at her favorite station, stacks of ammo in front of her.

"Can I speak to you?" she asked tentatively.

"When do you ever have to ask?" Ashley's sharp reply was a blow to the scientist.

Seeing the hurt expression in the asari's eyes, the chief quickly changed her tone.

"Liara, it's not that I don't want to come with you. It's just, well..." she hesitated, seeming to having difficulty selecting her words.

"I just think that she'll need me more. You know, to keep her out of trouble."

"I know, Ash," the asari agreed quietly.

"I mean, I know Wrex and Garrus will be close, but I'd feel much better if I were there."

The chief started stuffing the cartridges in a bag, the activity seeming to calm her.

"I can protect myself, sometimes I'm not sure if the commander realizes that," Liara said softly, shaking her head.

"That's not it at all, Liara," Ashley disagreed.

"Shepard thinks you're awesome in a stand up fight. That's why she takes you along with us all the time," the gunnery chief hesitated, smirking at the asari.

"Well, at least that's one of the reasons she always has you close by."

After a moment of uncertainty, the scientist couldn't help laughing at the look on her friend's face. It would be good to have Ashley on her team, her back would always be covered.

"Anyway," the chief continued, "I think she wants me to be there to cover you when your science distracts you."

"She won't let me forget Therium."

"Nope, and you shouldn't. But it was our gain anyway. It was a hellava way to meet you though," Ashley thought of the asari trapped in the Prothean barrier curtain and laughed at the memory.

"Hey, it's getting late and I'll bet there's an impatient spectre pacing somewhere," the chief added, grinning at the blush that crept up the doctor's face.

Glancing at the cron on her omni tool, Liara's face dropped.

"Oh no, I am very late with my report. There was so much to do."

"So, go on, I'm sure she's actively planning your punishment right now." Ashley teased,

"And you'll probably enjoy every minute of it. See you in the morning, Liara. Try to get a little sleep, will you?"

"I um, hmm. I will. Good night, Chief," Liara mumbled, her mind already somewhere else.

She turned and walk to the elevator, smiling as she pressed the button and the doors swished closed.

_

* * *

_

_As requested, here's a quick description of my original characters:_

_Rayn Gwyneth – 12 year old human, gifted mind, sought by the Shadow Broker_

_Teagan Sonor - turian scientist; expert in dating artifacts, chemical analysis with a sense of humor_

_Pravin - arrogant salarian scientist; out of the box thinker; but biased and sarcastic_

_Orran – salarian who understands the need for moderation at times and usually partners with other team members._


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Long after most of the crew had found their bunks, a tired spectre sat at her terminal, dutifully filing the reports she had been neglecting for the longest time.

She glanced at the pair of comm links on her desks, eager to see Liara's reaction to her gift. One benefit of being a spectre was the access to the most advanced gear. These beauties were powerful enough to pick up comm buoys directly, selecting a random unused channel each burst, guaranteeing a secure link. They also had built in trackers – they would always know exactly where each other were.

Shepard glanced at the cron display on her terminal for what seemed the hundredth time. Waiting was never one of her strong points. She closed her burning eyes and leaned her head back.

T'Soni made her way through the quiet ship, anticipation growing as she neared the commander's cabin. She pushed the door control and entered, pausing at the threshold as her eyes adjusted to the dimmed lighting. As the door swished closed behind her, she engaged the lock and muted the AV link to the bridge. Sorry, Joker, she thought, but tonight she's mine.

Silently crossing the room, she couldn't help smiling at the sight of the feared spectre, with her head nestled in her arms, sound asleep at her desk like a schoolgirl.

Shepard awoke as gentle hands encircled her and a warm breath at her neck gave away the soft kisses that followed. She returned the embrace turning to capture the lips with her own. Liara laughed as the chair overturned, gently catching them both with a soft biotic lift.

"You're late," the commander murmured, her breath quickening.

"I am sorry, I guess I'll have to make it up to you," the asari gently replied as she guided the unresisting spectre to the bed they shared.

As she touched the side, Shepard sat down quickly pulling the asari with her. Both laughed as they tumbled and came to rest with arms around each other.

"I thought you might have made other plans," the spectre joked, looking into the depths of the deep blue eyes.

"Never," the asari whispered as her eyes darkened, joining their souls with an ease borne of familiarity.

Liara awoke as the commander quietly got up and padded over to her desk. Admiring the view, the asari couldn't remember exactly when they had lost their clothing, but smiled at the way it was distributed around the room. She sat up and grinned at her lover, who was headed back, hands behind her back.

"Left or right?" Shepard asked.

"Hmm, what?" T'Soni tilted her head in the familiar gesture, not sure of the question she was being asked.

"It's an old earth game," the spectre explained.

"I have something in one of my hands for you, you have to guess the right one."

"Oh, um, left," the asari responded, her curiosity aroused as Shepard deftly climbed on the bed keeping her hands out of sight.

Unable to resist the temptation, the scientist grabbed at the unsuspecting spectre. Balance gone, Shepard landed on top of the asari.

"Hey that wasn't fair," the commander complained playfully.

"Some spectre once told me it's the results that matter," Liara responded, taking advantage of the fact the spectre's hands were still occupied.

The kiss that followed took their breath away. Reluctantly, the spectre rolled off and held out her left hand, presenting the small device to her soul mate. Liara examined the comm link, smiling.

"It is a communicator of some sort?" she asked.

"Better than that," Shepard started, explaining what it could do.

"So we can speak every night," the asari asked hopefully.

"Absolutely. And I can explain in detail what I'd be doing to you if you were laying next to me," the commander added, grinning at the blush that came to the asari's cheeks.

"Well, I am here right now," the asari responded suggestively.

Not waiting for an answer, Liara threw her arms around the spectre's neck, pulling her back into a passionate kiss showing her appreciation of the gift.

The unmerciful alarm went off much too soon for the tired pair, both reluctantly rose to face the day. They dressed in silence, sharing the quiet moment and enjoying each other's presence.

"Please be careful, Liara, I can't do this without you," the commander pleaded, scooping the asari into a fierce embrace.

"I will if you are," the asari offered.

"Promise?" the spectre backed off an arm length, looking into her lover's eyes.

"Of course," Liara responded, drawing Shepard back into her arms.

"Me too," the spectre whispered, stealing one last kiss before reluctantly disengaging.

"Let's go," the commander straightened her stance, smoothed her uniform and led the way out the door.

Liara let a few moments pass before following; afraid of letting her emotions betray her. She looked around the room and with a silent promise to return very soon, made her way through the door to face whatever came her way.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Joker glanced around the bridge. Ever since they had passed through the mass relay into the Voyager Cluster, everyone seemed to want a glimpse of their destination. It was getting a bit crowded up here. The commander and Dr. T'Soni were the last to appear joining Ashley, Rayn and Garrus surrounding the nearly overwhelmed pilot.  
"ETA: 5 minutes to Binthu. Stealth engaged." He announced. Everyone seemed to lean a bit closer to the nearest view port, like little kids hoping to be the first one to spot the planet.

Shepard was standing to Joker's immediate left, staring out the main view port.

"Bring us around in a slow, low sweep, Joker. I want to get a good look at the site and the area around it," the spectre directed.

As he looked from the commander to the asari at his right, he couldn't help contrasting their demeanors. Shepard looked attentive but wary, almost overly cautious, at least for her. The asari to his right however was almost bursting with excitement. Her eyes were bright and she chattered incessantly at him, spouting references to places and times he had never even heard of.

Afraid of the extended lecture he might receive if he let on, Joker just nodded whenever she paused. That seemed to keep her happy. Glancing back to his left, he caught the barest edge of a smile as the spectre witnessed the exchange. Grinning at being caught, Joker turned his attention back to center console where the approaching planet was growing larger.

He deftly cleared the atmosphere and brought them around into a level approach pattern. Rayn was the first to pick out the pyramid and her squeak of delight brought a smile to all those present.

"So you sure you can open that thing?" Garrus teased the girl.

"Yep, too bad you won't be there to see it, Bug," the child answered easily.

Shepard thought back to the first time the youngster had called the proud turian by that name. They were having an animated discussion and Garrus refused to give in to the youngster, regardless of the logic of her explanation. Frustrated and angry, she also refused to be intimidated and had compared his intelligence and his face to an Earth insect. He had sputtered and walked away, indignantly muttering under his breath. The spectre was never sure which part of the insult had bothered him more.

Rayn had apologized first, and the turian gained a new respect for the slight human. The joke from that point had been which bug she was actually referring to. The young scientist kept that to herself, but the turian had gained a nickname. Of course, no one else would ever use it to his face, but he seemed to tolerate it from the girl.

Rayn had definitely had a distinct effect on many of the crew. Chakwas tried to mother her and Ashley treated her like a little sister, arguing with her one minute, then defending her the next. Her most unlikely friend however was a krogan battlemaster with whom she would playfully wrestle and then discuss all aspects of warfare. Everyone stepped lightly around the pair. Wrex could be a bit overprotective and reacted to every perceived slight. The undersized human had weaseled her way into many hearts.

"Thank you for that reminder, human. I do have a Mako to ready. See you when you get back to the ship," Garrus responded graciously as he turned and left the bridge.

Snapping out of her thoughts, the commander addressed her pilot.

"Joker, have Wrex meet us at the Mako. Time to get to work."

"Yes, Ma'am," Joker replied.

The spectre glanced over to her research team, her eyes locking on their leader.

"Dr. T'Soni, regular reports, please. We need to know what's going on down there."

"Yes, Commander," the scientist responded with smile, already looking forward to their conversation that evening.

"Good luck," the spectre reluctantly turned and headed toward the Mako bay. Resisting the urge to turn around was difficult and the walk to the elevator never seemed so long. Elevator rides always gave her time to think. This was no exception and she went over their plans in her head one more time.

The ground team would drop first in the Mako and ensure that the site was secure. They would continue to enlarge their search area as the Normandy delivered the research team to their site. Ashley and the other marines she had selected would erect the temporary shelters and support the scientists as they opened the pyramid. The research team would digitally document everything, take whatever they could, reseal their entry point and put out the call that would bring the Normandy to pick them up. If there was no signal after the 5th day, the ship would land anyway – just not in as good a mood.

The plan seemed simple enough. The key was in what was found in the pyramid.

Shepard stopped at her locker and donned her battle armor. Securing her weapons in place, she felt ready for whatever they came across. Garrus and Wrex were likewise armored and armed as they waited by the Mako.

"Hope there's some action down there. My guns are getting rusty," Wrex muttered as he boarded the Mako.

"I'd be happy with a boring recon. Save the fireworks for a celebration," Garrus added as he passed the spectre.

The commander just shook her head. Her mind agreed with Garrus, but in her heart she would like to see a little action. It would be interesting to shake off some of the rust. She followed Garrus into the Mako and closed the hatch.

"OK Joker, take us in," she directed as she strapped herself in.

Minutes later, they were dropping toward the planet and Shepard braced herself against that first jarring hit as they landed. While she loved the range and the protection the Mako afforded her, she still never enjoyed the rough ride.

"There it is, Commander," Garrus pointed out the viewer to the right.

The pyramid stood out, a testament to those who had left it. During their first visit to this planet, she had examined the structure from every angle. The pyramid was covered with tiny engraved markings, but she had been unable to find any seams or other signs that it could be opened. The spectre hoped that they were not putting too much faith on the research and calculations of a 12 year old. But so far, Rayn had proved worthy of that trust and the commander saw no reason to question her now. Shepard wondered how much progress the young girl had made on her other project. A simple idea at best, but the result could be very beneficial if she were able to pull it off.

Garrus slowed the Mako as they approached the pyramid and deftly drove the vehicle in a tight circle around the perimeter. As the view from above had shown, the site seemed completely abandoned. Once they had made a full loop, the turian brought them to a stop.

Wrex was the first to exit and sighed in disgust as he looked around the site. The trio spent some time examining the area, but the only disturbance they came across were their own tracks from their last visit.

Wrex wandered over to where the human and turian were examining the wall of the pyramid.

"Nothing here," he grumbled.

"And you were expecting what?" Garrus goaded him good-naturedly.

"Something, anything, just not this," the krogan responded dejectedly.

"Well, let's going, maybe we'll find something for you to play with somewhere else on this planet," Shepard led the way back to the Mako.

"Joker, you copy?" the spectre initiated contact as she buckled herself into her seat.

"Loud and clear, Commander. What's with the old lingo? You going to Morse code next? Hey, find anything interesting? Wrex kill anything?" the pilot answered all at once, wit always at the ready.

"It that an age joke, Lieutenant? And no, to all your questions, but Wrex is chomping at the bit. Maybe I'll let him have a go at this insolent pilot I know," the spectre always enjoyed exchanges with Joker. They were always entertaining.

"Aw, Commander, you wouldn't want him wasting ammo on me. Besides, then you might have to let Garrus drive and we've all seen enough of that!" Joker responded easily.

"All's clear here, you're good to land. We're heading out. We'll meet you at the pick up zone tonight," Shepard would have liked to stay, but they had a lot of ground to cover before meeting the Normandy on the other side of the planet.

"Aye, aye, Commander," the pilot said with a smile as he turned the Normandy to an easy approach vector.

With the pyramid dwindling in the view port, the spectre glanced back to see the Normandy coming in to land. She couldn't help feeling that this was too easy, that everything was perfectly going according to plan. Somewhere, something had to happen, she just hoped they were prepared for it when it did. She turned back to the scanners on the console in front of her and concentrated on monitoring their surroundings. With the muttering coming from Wrex's station, she knew he was finding as much as she was. This might just prove to be the longest mission ever.

"Well the research team's probably got their camp set up by now," the spectre commented, glancing at the cron display on her console.

"Just think, Wrex," she added, "you too could be making bunks right now instead of having all this fun here."

"Keep it up, Shepard ..." Wrex's comeback died on his lips as the Mako was hit with a blast.

"Hold tight!" Garrus cried out. "We've got company!"


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Gunnery Chief Ashley Williams surveyed the scramble of activity around her. The Normandy had taken off a while ago, having deposited the research team directly in front of the pyramid. Most of the research team as well as the marines were busy getting the camp in order. One small, slight human was standing at the base of the pyramid, data pad in hand, feverishly scribbling notes and taking pictures.

Ashley smiled as she kept her eye on the girl. As soon as they touched down, it was all they could do to keep the child from rushing out of the ship. Rayn reluctantly followed orders and waited until the marines had completed the security perimeter before galloping off the Normandy. The chief had to laugh at the young human who could not control herself any longer as she ran over to the structure, completing countless circuits in complete wonder. She had only returned to her gear long enough to collect a data pad and OSDs. Anyone who tried to speak to her was unceremoniously waved away.

"So I take it we should leave her alone with it for a while?" Ashley asked the asari who had joined her observation of the girl.

"Yes, I believe so, although my team does not share in that position." Liara quietly responded.

"Good thing you're in charge, then." The chief responded with a smirk.

"How is your setup going?" Ashley asked, changing the subject.

"The lab is up and functioning, the shelters are all in place. The preparations are complete, I think we will be able to begin the attempt at opening it tomorrow morning." Liara's tone was neutral and she kept her gaze straight ahead, not looking at the chief.

"Is something wrong, Doc?" Ashley asked gently, sensing the hesitation in the asari's voice.

"I do not know, but I think there may be something." She began.

Removing the communicator from her pocket, Liara handed it to the chief. Weapons were the marine's first love, but any tech gear would do. Ashley quickly identified the device and handed it back to the asari.

"That's a pretty advanced model, I take it it's twin is out there surveying the planet right now?" The chief asked.

"Yes, I have been following her progress, I mean their progress." The asari commented, almost too quickly.

"And..."

"About 10 minutes ago, the tracker went dark." Liara whispered with a quiver in her voice.

"Let me see that again." Ashley demanded, now sharing the doctor's concern.

The chief deftly pulled apart the device, checking the components as she removed them. Liara anxiously watched as the chief fit each piece back together and reset the receiver. As the tracker came to life, they both exhaled the breath neither one realized she was holding.

"There, it only needed to be reset. Sometimes, an EMP will disrupt it." Ashley was relieved that it had come back online. One less worry, she thought.

"What would have caused that?" The scientist's curiosity kicked in.

"Anything generating an electromagnetic field, I guess." The chief shrugged her shoulders.

"Why don't you just call her and ask?" Ashley asked bluntly.

"Well, I promised I'd wait for her call. It was probably some minor glitch anyway. I do not want to bother her. It is moving now, so I guess it is all right. Thanks, Ash." Liara pocketed the comm and started walking toward the pyramid.

"Wait up, will you?" Ashley called out.

"Hey, let me know what she says, OK?" The chief added.

"Well, I'll let you know when I talk to her, but I may not be able to tell you what she has said." The asari said with a smirk, her good humor returned.

"Whatever." Ashley replied, rolling her eyes. She should be used to that by now. The both of them were incorrigible as far as she was concerned.

As they reached the young scientist, they exchanged glances. Rayn was so completely immersed in the readout of the datapad that she didn't hear them approach. Her eyes were gleaming and the excitement was radiating off of her.

"Rayn, what have you found?" Liara asked, startling the girl.

"I can open it right now." The young scientist said, awe in her voice.

"It's all right here, it is almost too simple." The girl pointed at her datapad. Her words just tumbled out, it was all she could do to contain her excitement.

A concerned marine looked over her shoulder. "It's almost nightfall and everyone's not ready. I think you should wait until the morning."

"Come back to the tents, Rayn. We shall have something to eat and you can open it at first light." The asari completely agreed with the gunnery chief.

Rayn reluctantly turned away from the pyramid and followed the older pair. steps slowed as she changed her mind and the girl dashed back to the pyramid before either woman could turn around.

Reaching the glyphs, Rayn's fingers played over them, tracing the patterns she had identified. As Ashley and Liara ran up to flank the delinquent girl, the pyramid began to hum. As the cacophony increased, the symbols that Rayn had touched began to glow with an eerie amber hue. The three took a collective step backwards as both the sound and light continued to grow.

Fear mixed with wonder reflected on their faces. Suddenly, the glow consolidated into a twelve foot square on the face of the pyramid. The area within the square began to shimmer and swirl in a clockwise pattern. A soft wind emanated from within the pyramid as the shimmering area dissolved and a darkened opening replaced it.

Rayn started to rush into the opening but was lifted high into the air as the asari's biotics caught her. Liara could only marvel at the sight, but Ashley was livid. Liara deposited the reckless youth within an arm's reach of the fuming gunnery chief.

"What the hell kind of move was that?" She barked at her young charge.

Ashley grabbed the girl none too gently and half dragged her back to their camp, calling two marines by name as she got within shouting distance.

"Guard the entrance to the pyramid." She ordered them.

The look on her face must have been extreme for neither guard had the slightest hesitation as they ran toward the structure. Better to face an unknown alien construct than deal with the gunnery chief in the mood she was in. Depositing the girl into a tent with orders not to move, the chief turned to the asari who had been closely following them.

"Now what do we do?" Ashley demanded.

"I would suggest that we continue as planned and enter at first light. Keeping the guard there is a healthy precaution. Just in case there is something still in there." Liara's mind was spinning as she tried to comprehend the scope of the girl's accomplishment. The pyramids had stood for countless years and a little wisp of a girl had broken its secret.

"What about Rayn?" Ashley asked, seeing that the asari scientist was clearly distracted by the turn of events.

"We shall feed her in the tent and confine her until morning. I believe that she will be sincerely contrite by then. Especially if we threaten to leave her behind as we survey the interior of the pyramid." Liara seemed troubled.

"Ok, I would have told her to close it. But, we'll do it your way. I'll go arrange a watch until the morning." The chief purposefully strode away, remnants of her anger still visible in her gait.

Liara entered the tent to find Rayn curled up in the corner, sobbing quietly. She knelt down next to the child and put her arms around shaking shoulders.

"I'm sorry, Dr. Tsoni, really. I don't know why I did that." She choked out the words.

"It was very dangerous thing to do, Rayn." Liara scolded gently.

"We do not know what could have happened. The team was not ready."

"I know, but I couldn't resist. I was so close, I had to know if it was going to work." The child protested weakly.

"Well, then you will never be a true scientist." The doctor stated bluntly.

"Discipline is as important as knowledge and tonight you demonstrated a distinct lack of it."

Rayn couldn't respond, she just lowered her head and continued to cry. The criticism of her mentor weighed more heavily than any speech she had ever received.

"Well, then I guess it's good that you have us around to set you straight." The asari added, trying to cheer up the youngster.

"By the goddess, there's not all that much else that we can teach you." Liara smiled at the girl, wiping away her tears.

"What will happen now?" The girl asked, a frightened look in her eyes.

"Well, you will eat your dinner, go to bed and then go exploring in the morning." She answered.

"And make sure you look repentant when Ashley gets back. She may not be as easy on you as I am."

"Thanks, Liara." Rayn whispered as she buried her head in the asari's shoulder.

The asari hugged the girl and couldn't help but smile at this complex wonder that was their small charge. She thought to the discovery that awaited them in the morning and knew she would have difficulty sleeping this night. The asari eagerly awaited the commander's call that night. She was bursting with the news and couldn't wait to share it. The hours until their scheduled time would seem like days, but the scientist in her could be patient if the need arose. However, she may not be able to control the smile that crept to her face in anticipation of their conversation. It may prove to be a long evening after all.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

"Evasive maneuvers!" The spectre ordered, adjusting her harness to allow her better access to the nearest cannon turret.

"And what do you think I am doing?" The turian growled as another blast rocked the vehicle.

"Obviously not enough since we're on the wrong end of a target practice." Wrex chipped in, firing blasts at the unknown assailant from his side of the Mako.

"Bank right!" The commander shouted, taking out the nearest gun on that side.

She shot another few rounds that way just to be sure. The spectre was never one to go light on the ammo. Quiet descended on them after the krogan blasted the opposite battlement. He was enjoying this way too much after the confinement of the Normandy. The Mako rolled to a stop and Shepard glanced over to see a lopsided grin on the battlemaster's face.

"Now that was fun, can we do it again?" Wrex asked, meeting the commander's gaze.

She shook her head at him, but shared his smile. It was getting a little boring anyway. The spectre grabbed extra ammo, jammed the magazine into her weapon and headed for the hatch.

"Report this to the Normandy and stay with the Mako." She called to Garrus.

"Well, krogan, you coming or do I have to do this by myself?" The spectre barked.

"After you, of course, Commander." Wrex responded, still smiling. This was why he came on this cruise. Action just seemed to follow in the spectre's wake. He thought it was great.

Stepping foot on the planet's surface, Shepard cautiously looked around for any other signs of motion. Other than the remains of the two gun turrets, there was not much to be seen. Wrex came to her side as she examined the rightmost wreck. The gun to the left had been completely destroyed. The smoking heap of metal was barely recognizable. The krogan was definitely thorough when it came to destruction. She liked that about him.

She glanced at the krogan and nodded her head.

"Geth." The spectre spat out the word, her eyes narrowing as she surveyed the area surrounding the ruined turrets.

"I don't get it." The battlemaster was puzzled.

"Why set up a trap in the middle of nowhere? It makes no sense." He continued.

"Well it caught us." She pointed out.

"Do you recognize the design?" She asked, wishing that she had her gunnery chief at her side. Ashley knew every weapon ever manufactured it seemed, and then some. Wrex was no amateur, but her real expert was sitting in a camp on the other side of the planet.

"Doesn't matter, Shepard. They've made their point, now we just have to find them. Looks like this one had a transmitter of some kind, so they probably know we're here." Wrex commented as he emptied a round into the antenna housing for good measure.

"Damn, we better get back to the pyramid and make sure they double back on us." Shepard spun and headed for the Mako.

"Commander, wait, look at this." The battlemaster called from the back of the turret.

The spectre came jogging back to the krogan's position, impatience stamped on her face.

"We don't have time for this, Wrex, they could be in trouble." She snapped.

"Don't get your armor all overheaded, commander." He spat back.

"I don't think they'll be Geth fodder just yet, look here." Wrex pointed to a battery terminus partially buried in the planet's surface. Partially corroded wires led to the now defunct antenna. The age and condition of both the wiring and battery painted a different picture.

"So, what do you make of it?" The commander inquired, noticeably relaxing.

"They were here at some point, thought it was important enough to blast passers by, but haven't been here in a while." Wrex shrugged and started to walk back to the Mako.

"It was a pretty good setup, considering. Still packed a good punch. You gotta give them that." He grudgingly added.

"Joker said that all's been quiet in the camp. They're set up and looking to go in tomorrow." Garrus reported as they buckled in to their respective seats.

"So, where to, Commander?" The turian asked, waiting on her decision before starting the vehicle.

"Let's continue the circuit we planned. We'll see what else we find here." She replied, quietly thoughtful as she looked out the side window.

The spectre knew Wrex's evaluation of the site was probably right on the money, but she couldn't shake the uneasy feeling that had descended on her. The pieces didn't fit together quiet right. She fought her initial impulse to go speeding back to the pyramid. Ashley and her marines were more than capable of holding their own. She focused on the scanning the horizon, much more aware now. If there were anything out there, they would find it.

The shock troopers looked at each other as the Mako began to pull away. From their hidden vantage point, they had watched the trap spring and had reported back to the Network. All was progressing as the Network had planned. The Geth would not quietly return to the Veil.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Destroying the fifth trap site had proved the easiest. They were probably getting better at recognizing the anomalies in the landscape. Shepard could not put her finger on it, but there was definitely something strange going on here. Evening was falling and the latest reports from the camp were very positive. The spectre reluctantly decided to call it a day.

"Guess we'll just continue in the morning." As she spoke, her weary team barely looked up.

"And we need to pack more ammo, too." Wrex was the most animated of the three. He had definitely had the most fun on their exploratory trip. His enthusiastic bent for destruction was perfectly suited to the work they had to do today.

"Yes, and who knows how many more we will find tomorrow." Garrus added sarcastically.

That only made the krogan's smile grow. Shepard looked from one to the other and just shook her head. She was growing to appreciate her special crew more and more over the course of time. Coming together in a rather haphazard way, they each had their specialties and complemented each other well. The spectre felt fortunate to have them close to cover her back.

"Joker, " the commander patched into the communication link, "come get us."

"We thought you'd never call, Commander." The pilot joked.

"ETA is 8 minutes. Stay out of trouble 'til we get there. Normandy out." Joker snapped the channel shut.

Shepard smiled at his easy banter. Somehow, he always seemed to bring a grin to her face. But at this point, she couldn't wait to get all the grime off, lie down on her bed and check in with her favorite doctor. Her mind went through many descriptive phrases and she wondered which would make the asari blush the most. Her thoughts were unceremoniously cut off as the Normandy swept in on them and they rolled into the open bay door.

Stopping at her locker, the commander carefully cleaned and checked her gear before putting it away. The dents and scratches were starting to overtake the original finish. It was almost time for some new armor.

As she walked over to her quarters, she noticed Shiala working at the station that Kaiden used to frequent. She hadn't thought about him in a while and still missed his quiet strength and quick smile.

"Commander, you look exhausted." The violet asari gasped as she looked up.

"Just a long day, Shiala. Any luck with your analysis of Rayn's theories?" The tired spectre responded.

"That girl is most gifted. Her simple words have the logic of a matriarch. I think she will be successful in decoding the pyramid." Shiala spoke with an almost reverence.

"Sorry, Shiala, but it has been a rough day." Shepard continued past the asari and hit the door control.

"Commander, if you would allow me, I can take some of the stress out of your shoulders." Shiala offered.

"Maybe later," the spectre answered suddenly feeling every sore muscle.

"I think just getting clean will be a step in the right direction."

"Very good, Commander. Rest well." The asari turned back to her station as the tired spectre made her way into her quarters.

A shower and change of clothing had the spectre feeling a bit refreshed. Standing over her desk, her eyes were torn between the communicator and the terminal. Her sense of duty overcame her indecision and she sat down to put the afternoon's occurrences into a report. Maybe the council could provide her with some insight or angle she was missing. It was worth a shot.

As she continued working at the keyboard, her door swished open and a very tentative purple skinned asari requested permission to enter. Curious, Shepard invited her in.

"I do not wish to disturb you, but I was wondering if you'd given any thought to my earlier offer." Shiala's voice was velvet over steel.

"A massage? Well, I could really use one about now." The spectre unconsciously rolled her shoulders, feeling the tightness in her arms and neck.

"That would be great, Shiala." She added, returning to her chair.

The asari glided across the room, placing her long fingers on the spectre's neck. Under her skilled ministrations, Shepard felt the soreness slip away. As Shiala's hands moved down her shoulders and upper back working the same magic, the spectre closed her eyes and leaned her head back enjoying the strong fingers digging into her tired muscles.

Shepard was caught completely off guard as a soft pair of lips closed upon hers in a gentle kiss. Abruptly breaking the contact, the commander leapt to her feet, awkwardly banging her knees on her desk.

"What the hell was that?" The commander roared.

Shiala, eyes wide, backed up a few steps and then suddenly spun and ran from Shepard's quarters. Seeing the asari's reaction quickly calmed the commander's anger, but the spectre couldn't help but notice that her hands were still shaking.

On the bridge, Joker stared in disbelief at his beloved commander, head back and obviously enjoying the touch of the asari. When Shiala bent down to kiss her, he flicked off the monitor in disgust. He couldn't believe what he had just seen. He thought of the azure asari on the planet below and his heart went out to Liara. Well, that's what I get for looking, he thought.

After a quick search, the commander found Shiala with her head buried in her hands at the mess table. She sat down opposite the distraught asari and spoke to her in a quiet voice.

"Shiala, I'm very sorry." She began.

"I didn't mean to frighten you, it's just, well, you really startled me."

"It is I who am sorry, Commander. I did not make myself clear about what I was offering. I presumed that you had a fondness for asari." Shiala's voice was strained.

"I only have a fondness for one particular asari, and she's got her hands full right now. " Realizing the complete misunderstanding for what it was, Shepard began to laugh. A small chuckle that escalated until her eyes were watering.

Seeing the commander's reaction, Shiala joined in the infectious laughter.

"You should have seen your face!" Shepard blurted out, trying to get her breath back.

"Well, I'm not the one with bruised knees, Commander." The asari answered smoothly.

"I didn't know you could move so fast." Shiala added in between fits of laughter.

Shepard stood up and offered a hand to the asari. Shiala accepted the handshake and stood as well.

"I can't apologize enough, Shiala. With humans, a massage is just that. I'm sorry you thought differently. Please don't be offended. I'm flattered at your offer, really." Shepard's breathing had finally returned to normal, but she felt the mirth ready to erupt again.

"I hope this doesn't affect our friendship, Commander." The asari became serious.

"Don't worry, Shiala, it won't. But don't be surprised if I'm grinning now or then."

Shepard started to walk away, then hesitated. "By the way, Shiala, your hands did wonders for me. If you ever want to stick to the straight massage, come see me."

"Thank you, Shepard. But you'll have to forgive me if I keep my hands at my sides from now on. I may get myself in less trouble that way."

"Damn, and I was enjoying that part. Good night, Shiala." The spectre walked away, still grinning.

"Be well, Commander."

Back within her quarters, Shepard engaged the locks and mute and grabbed the communicator from her desk. Lying back in her bed, she hit the call button and waited to hear the music that was her lover's voice.

"Shepard, you won't believe what happened." The spectre couldn't help but smile at the excitement and wonder that was evident in the asari's voice.

Liara didn't wait for a response before launching into the complete story of Rayn's accomplishment. After giving it a minute to sink in, the spectre's reaction was not what the asari had expected.

"You let her do what?!" Shepard exclaimed.

"What if there was something inside? What if it blew up? Liara, I can't believe this wasn't more controlled."

Liara waited for the storm that was her lover to die down. She had weathered outbursts such as this in the past and had found it much easier to wait them out.

After a moment of silence, Liara broke it softly.

"Shepard, it was meant to be. She is only twelve and is impetuous at times. To control her actions fully would be to limit her mind. It is not always possible." Liara's quiet words further calmed the spectre. Liara asked about the attacks that Joker had only hinted at. The asari just nodded in disbelief while the spectre described their afternoon. She then switched gears, steering the conversation to a new topic.

"OK, well then I have a funny story for you." The Commander said and then began to tell of her encounter with Shiala.

At first, Liara did not see the humor in the story, but Shepard's reaction to it calmed her jealousy and made her laugh.

"I miss you, Li." The spectre added quietly.

"I would prefer to be there next to you, too, Shepard." Liara answered.

"You know what I'd be doing if you were here?" Shepard asked her beloved asari.

"Hmm, please tell me." Liara breathed into the communicator, her thoughts racing with her heartbeat.

The commander spent the next hour describing each touch, kiss and movement. Both were breathless as their conversation ended.

"Please be careful, Liara. Be my thoughtful scientist." Shepard's begged.

"You be safe as well, my love. I shall see you soon."

Liara disengaged the communicator and sat it on the small stand next to her cot. She stared at the canvas ceiling of the tent, but sleep eluded her for the longest time. Excitement for the morning's discovery mixed with longing. On the Normandy, her other half also had trouble getting to sleep. The emptiness of the bed weighed on the spectre. It was some time before a dream filled slumber claimed her.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Liara woke to a gentle shaking and turned her to gaze into the sparkling eyes of an excited 12 year old.

"It's light out now, can we go?" Rayn's impatience was evident in the speed of her actions.

"Easy, Rayn," the somewhat groggy doctor responded.

"Go see that the others are getting ready while I get dressed. Breakfast first and then we'll go."

The girl nodded and skipped off to do the asari's bidding.

As Liara sat up, she glanced at the small comm device on the camp table and smiled. She was decidedly tired but cherished the conversation that went deep into the night. Ashley would enjoy their commander's encounter with Shiala. But the scientist was hesitant on sharing that story. Somehow, it bothered her. She completely trusted her spectre; it was the thought of the other asari's actions that sparked her biotics. Jealousy was not an asari trait. She had been too long in the company of humans; their emotions were contagious. Maybe she would speak to Ashley about it after all. The response that had first come to her mind was much more in line with the fiery marine's actions than the quiet asari's.

Shaking her head, she rose and dressed quickly. Those thoughts were left behind as she slipped through the tent flap. Excitement was in the air as the team chatted loudly over breakfast. She was the last to join the group and they looked expectantly at her.

"As we agreed, we will have a complete video record of everything," she reminded them.

"Orran, you may set up whenever you are ready."

"Yes, Dr. T'Soni, I'm on my way," the congenial salarian jumped up and began to gather equipment.

"Can I help him, please?" whined a small voice.

"Not so quick, little one, you're sticking with me today," Ashley appeared behind the young scientist.

Rayn's whole body seemed to droop at the sound of the marine's voice and she dejectedly finished her breakfast.

Liara joined the chief, smiling at Ashley as she tried to be stern with the youth.

"Morning, Doc, nice of you to join us," the marine never missed an opportunity to tease the asari.

"So, was it the excitement or the commander? You look like you barely slept."

"Good morning to you too, Chief," Liara calmly replied, a smirk creeping into her visage.

"Actually, I did speak to her last night," the asari added.

"So did you figure out why your comm link went dead?"

"Yes, they were attacked. You were right, an EMP jammed their communications." Liara went on to relay what the spectre had told her.

"Damn, that makes no sense at all. Why trap the planet? We better be extra cautious here now. You never know," Ashley mused over the attack.

"I also have something else I'd like your opinion on, but not here," Liara added softly.

The chief's eyebrow rose, her curiosity definitely outweighing her anxiousness to get started. She took the asari's arm and guided her back out of earshot of the group.

"So, what's eating you, Doc?" Ashley looked into the scientist's concerned but hesitant eyes.

As Liara told her of Shepard's encounter with the older asari, Ashley's emotions ranged from incredulity to outrage to amusement.

"Sounds like an honest mistake, Liara, what's bothering you?" the chief asked as the asari finished her narrative.

"I, I do not know," the doctor stammered uncertainly, looking at the ground.

"She wouldn't have told you if there was anything to it, Liara. By the way, how'd the conversation go from there?"

The blush and grin that overcame the asari's face gave Ashley all the answer she needed.

"Just look at it this way: it gives me one more item to harass Shepard with," the chief still sensed concern in her friend's demeanor.

"Anyway, Doc, I know you can kick her ass if you needed to," the marine added, teasing a ghost of a smile from the asari.

"Really, Ash?"

"Of course, with me at your back, no doubt about it."

Laughing, they returned to where the team was putting away the remains of their breakfast.

Liara grasped the chief's arm just before they reached the group.

"Thanks, Ash," she whispered.

"Anytime, Doc," Ashley replied looking into the depths of the asari's azure eyes. Not for the first time, she felt a bit envious of their commander, wondering what it would be like to be loved by such an exotic being. Smiling, she turned and walked over to their very impatient young charge.

"Done?" the chief was definitely not letting the over enthusiastic girl out of her sight. As the youth nodded, Ashley turned and started walking in the direction of the pyramid.

"Well, you coming? I didn't say we'd just sit back here now," the chief grinned as Rayn's whole face lit up and she bounded out of her chair. The youth's behavior so reminded Ashley of her little sister and she vowed again to keep her safe.

"Sorry, Chief, I thought you wouldn't want me anywhere near it," the girl commented quietly.

"Rayn, we just need to take it slowly. We don't want anyone getting hurt because we rushed into something. OK?" the chief explained.

"Oh, I guess so," she said solemnly.

Liara fell in beside them as they trekked the short distance to the pyramid.

As they reached the site, Orran had set up a terminal outside the opening and had a vid cam floating beside him. The rest of the team gathered around, all eyes on the dark opening.

Teagan sent a small bot into the opening and reviewed readings on the datapad in his hand.

"No internal movement, air quality is good, no life forms detected," he reported to a group collectively holding their breath.

The bot returned with a chirp and the scientists looked at their leader in anticipation.

"Let us enter, then," Liara said decisively.

At Ashley's signal, four armed marines took up positions on either side of the opening and a large spotlight on wheels was brought to the forefront.

Liara moved forward with the other scientists, vid cam silently hovering over the group.

Liara's shields flared as she entered the opening. From the strain on her face, Ashley knew she was shielding the entire group. It never ceased to amaze her the awesome strength the asari kept quietly hidden.

The marines took up a 2 by 2 defensive position inside as the spotlight revealed a cavernous chamber. As they crossed the threshold, they enormity of the space left the group awestruck. They stood and stared at the impossible volume that was evident in the structure. Quietly, they each made their way deeper into the room, turning to take in the full effect.

Liara sighed in relief as she dropped the shielding and walked over to the spotlight. Responding to her signal, a marine cut the light. A collective gasp went up from the group as they experienced the natural illumination of the pyramid's interior.

The soft glow highlighted the runes and hieroglyphs that covered the walls of the structure. Ashley moved quickly to follow Rayn as she dashed to the room's center where a huge cylinder rose up to the unseen roof of the construct. As the girl attempted to touch, she met an unseen barrier and backed away.

Ashley glanced over at the asari who smiled back.

"OK," the girl apologized, "I won't touch until you tell me."

"Good girl, you are trainable," Liara came up behind them and with a hand on Rayn's shoulder, joined them in scrutinizing the numerous ruins engraved on the column.

"What do you make of it?" Liara asked Teagan, who had just completed a scan and was reviewing the data.

"Definitely Prothean, but the material has some additional properties that are unidentifiable. It is much too dense for the sum of its elements. Very strange," the Turian seemed perplexed at the readings on his datapad.

Ashley looked over to see a strange look on the face of the asari.

"What is it, Doc?" she asked quietly, not wanting to disturb her concentration.

"It's almost like I can read it, but the language does not make sense," the doctor struggled to explain.

"I think Shiala should look at this, maybe she will be able to help," Liara continued.

T'Soni called over to Teagan, who was busy scanning the sloping side walls.

"Yes, ma'am?" the turian jogged over, eager to assist the asari.

"Orran seems occupied helping Pravin, would you be so kind as to stream a vid of this column and transmit it to Shiala? I would like her analysis of the glyphs."

"Right away, Dr. T'Soni," Teagan hurried away to do the asari's bidding.

"Damn, Liara, you have him jumping through circles," the chief teased the scientist.

"Yes, he is trying," T'Soni smiled.

"I guess I should discourage him at some point, but for now it is most convenient."

"You better be careful, Doc," Ashley warned.

"There's a spectre our there that will skin him alive if he ever touches you."

"I know, you are right, I will talk to him later," she promised.

"Dr. T'soni, Chief," a small voice regained their attention.

"It's a portal, can I open it now?" Rayn seemed unphased at the astonished looks on the faces of those around her.

"How do you know that, Rayn?" Ashley, the first to recover, asked the girl.

"It's the pattern. They've mixed in the runes with the glyphs, concentrate on the runes only. Can't you see that?"

"Yes, now I do, somewhat," Liara hesitated, then moved closer, studying the engravings.

Pravin and Orran came over heatedly arguing. One look from Liara had them both quiet immediately. The chief hid her smile. Whatever the asari had done to Pravin obviously had a lasting effect. It didn't change his attitude as his sullen face attested to, but it sure made him easier to work with. Well, from the files he looked like he would be a valuable member, but in practice, he had been a poor choice.

"What have we here, Rayn?" the morose salarian addressed the youngest scientist, clearly enjoying the breach of protocol.

"We were examining the engravings, Pravin," T'Soni smoothly cut in, answering before the youngster had a chance to blurt out her conclusion.

"Have you found anything?" Liara questioned him.

"We have imaged everything, we need to analyze the data now against our references," Orran jumped in, once again trying to diffuse the tension that Pravin seemed to cause at every turn.

"You may return to the camp if you wish to," the asari stated and was answered with nods from the two salarians.

Pravin and Orran headed to the entrance heads together as they quietly continued their earlier discussion.

"There's trouble written all over that," the chief shook her head as she watched the pair walk away.

"I know, we shall see, " Liara had already turned back to the column following Rayn as she slowly circled the pillar.

The girl excitedly pointed to a particular symbol and turned to face them with a sparkle in her eye.

"That's it, that's where it begins. We can trigger it whenever you say," the girl looked expectantly at her mentor.

Liara looked over to the gunnery chief who just shrugged her shoulders.

"Rayn, we really do not know what will happen. Let us see what Shiala has to say. She also shared the Cypher, she may have some insight that aids us." Liara sounded as if she were trying to convince herself as well.

Suddenly, there was a scurry of activity at the entrance. Pravin and Orran dove through the door as the marines rushed out. The sound of gunfire split the silence.

Ashley's gun appeared in her hand just as a shield snapped into place around them.

"Stay here, Rayn," Ashley ordered.

The girl took one glance at the expression on the chief's face and immediately agreed. The salarians hurried over to huddle with the human as the chief and asari ran to the entrance.

Ashley grimaced as she had to step over the body of a young marine with a blast hole in his chest. To her credit, the asari also didn't hesitate as she followed the chief.

Quickly surveying the scene before them, the chief's weapon came to life, blasting the Geth that were threatening to overwhelm the pyramid. Ashley noted the positions of each of her men as she quickly plotted the best way to trap the Geth in a crossfire. Her planning was cut short as the Geth systematically floated up becoming easy skeet targets for her troops.

All at once, the gunfire ceased and the overwhelming silence caught them by surprise.

"Corporal, status," Ashley barked at the young officer crouched down on the other side of the smoking Geth armature.

"Hostiles eliminated, Chief," he responded crisply, signaling his men to check the blasted remains.

Ashley turned around just in time to catch the exhausted asari. She gently lowered her to the ground and stood over her.

Staccato gunfire echoed as the marines ensured that each Geth trooper would not rise again. Two marines came trotting over and helped the chief carry the unconscious asari into the pyramid.

Giving them orders to stand outside and guard the entrance, the chief inspected the area. Her troops had done so well, she could not tally the number of Geth troopers. The parts were too numerous.

She hailed the Normandy as she cautiously trotted back to the camp and gave Joker a quick status on their situation. She knew it would be only a matter of time before the message was relayed to the commander and they would be ordered to break camp. Ashley desperately hoped the asari would not be too disappointed. They had already made a great discovery and had more to go on. It was just ending too soon.

The deserted camp showed no signs of disruption. The Geth must have bypassed it and come directly to the pyramid. The team was fortunate to not have been trapped inside. The chief felt a surge of pride for her marines who, perfectly positioned, managed to repel the Geth. Then she pictured the fallen soldier and reality crashed in. This was not supposed to be a fatal mission. She had seen too many good marines fall to the Geth. The Reapers were not the only threat they had to worry about and this one was much closer to home.

Acting on a hunch, the chief pulled back the flap on the tent that the salarians shared. Sitting on a cot was a small transmitter, clearly not of Prothean design. It was vaguely familiar, possibly quarian. Looking closer, Ashley noticed that it pulsated with a dull red light. Not able to locate any switches, she took it outside and emptied her chamber into its core. She felt a quiet satisfaction as the device disintegrated and the light was permanently extinguished.

For good measure, she ground the debris under her boot then began the short trek back to the pyramid.

The marines had piled the Geth in front of their vehicle away from the pyramid. She noted that they had ensured a clear line of site from the entrance as well as cover in case they had to make another stand. She made a mental note to speak to Shepard about commendations for these marines. As expected, they had performed flawlessly under fire. They saluted as she walked past and she crisply returned the gesture.

As she approached the entrance, she immediately knew that something was amiss. The two soldiers that she had left to guard the pyramid were not at their post. She drew her pistol and cautiously crept toward the opening. She could barely hear voices from the inside, but could not make out what they were saying. The gunnery chief quietly slipped inside and made her way along the darkened wall. She desperately hoped that the dim glow of the walls would not give her away. As Ashley concentrated on the light ahead, she did not notice the inert forms on the ground and silently cursed as she tripped. Checking the prone marine at her feet, she was relieved to find a steady pulse to go along with a sizable knot at the back of his head. She had found one of her guards. Glancing around, she could not locate his partner and hoped that was not a bad sign.

As her line of vision cleared the central pillar, she was shocked at the scene that unfolded in front of her. Quickly engaging her comm link to the Normandy, she tapped out the code for a silent SOS. That should bring the Normandy in fast, quiet and looking for a fight. This mission had gone to hell in the biggest way. The chief noticed the vid cam still happily recording in the background. At least there would be a record of what was happening. But it also meant that she had to handle it by the book.

Pravin held a very frightened Rayn in front of him as the others looked on. The chief could not see his right hand, but from the position in which it was held, she assumed he had a weapon at the girl's back. Ashley spotted the asari slumped with her back against the column with her hands behind her back. While happy that she was again conscious, the exhaustion stamped on her face told the chief that she would not be ready for another fight anytime soon.

"Well, Chief, glad you could join us," the salarian's voice startled the marine, all thoughts of stealth wiped from her plans.

"What's going on, Pravin?" Ashley challenged him as she sauntered into the light, pistol trained on his head.

"We've had a little misunderstanding, that's all," he explained.

"You see, with the visit from our Geth friends, our leader here thinks we should abandon this site immediately. But we do not share that opinion," the salarian's eyes flashed as he spoke.

"He wants me to open the portal now," Rayn whimpered.

"It's too late for that now, we don't know how much time we have before the Geth return, Pravin," Liara's voice was weak, but firm.

Inching over to give herself a clearer shot at him, the chief stopped as the salarian revealed the pin less grenade in his hand. The gunnery chief grimaced as she recognized the device. The charge would detonate on impact; she'd have no chance to save Rayn or Liara.

Hoping to buy some time, she lowered her pistol and looked to the young scientist.

"OK, Rayn," the chief moved closer to the group as she spoke.

"Open it."

Rayn's eyes went wide and she nodded.

Without waiting for permission, Ashley moved over to the asari and helped her stand. Liara squeezed her hand and glanced at the cam as they stepped away from the column. Understanding, the marine helped her move to the right, giving the camera a clear shot at the pillar.

Orran and Teagan looked on helplessly as the other salarian giggled in glee.

Rayn took a breath and studied the column. As before, her hands touched the figures in a sequence that no one else followed. Once touched, the runes glowed brighter and the now familiar hum came to their ears.

The pitch increased and the pillar started to slowly rotate. As the spin increased in speed, the column turned translucent, showing an inner glow that illuminated the entire room. The noise abruptly stopped and the pillar completely dissipated, leaving a column of light that began to draw them in.

Too close to resist its pull, Rayn glanced back at the marine with terrified eyes as she was pulled to the light. Without warning, the girl was enveloped and disappeared with a crackle of energy.

Liara's gasp echoed that of the marine as the asari leapt forward trying to catch the young human. Her unexpected motion threw the chief backwards. In another flash, the doctor was also gone. One more crack marked the passing of the salarian as Pravin followed the other scientists into the portal.

Ashley stumbled toward the turian, pushing both Teagan and Orran away from its pull. Orran looked up with a panicked expression and broke away from the chief, plunging into the column.

The turian backed away quickly, utter amazement stamped on his face.

"Teagan, you have to get the Normandy and let them know what happened," the chief ordered the shocked scientist as she grabbed one of the emergency kits that were with the video gear.

Seeing the slight nod of his head, she touched her weapons for reassurance, mouthed a quick prayer and ran into the light.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

After the brief discussion with the chief, Joker hailed the commander, bracing himself for her reaction.

"I'm here Joker, what's up?" the spectre sounded tired. The Mako patrol was not easy as they continued to hit and disarm those meaningless traps. Shepard was tempted to abandon the original plan and just fall back to the camp. It seemed all they were doing was wasting ammo. But, the Alliance officer in her won out and she wanted to leave the planet safe for any that followed them.

Not expecting Joker's call, the spectre was immediately concerned when she heard the hesitation in his voice.

"Commander, Chief Williams just reported in. Seems like they were attacked by a Geth patrol at the pyramid," the pilot was all business.

"Hostiles were eliminated, there was one casualty," he added.

Shepard caught her breath at that, holding it for his next words.

"One of the marines was caught in the initial firefight, Ma'am," Joker reported.

Garrus needed no instruction and immediately turned the Mako.

"Give me quickest ETA, Joker," she ordered.

"I'm on my way, Commander," he responded quickly.

"I'll have you on board in 14 minutes, then to the pyramid in 12 more," the pilot said, transmitting a grid location to the Mako.

"Garrus?" the spectre barked.

"At least 45 for us direct, it's faster for the pickup and delivery," the turian noted the dangerous calm that had descended on the spectre.

"Joker, any other word from the camp?" she asked.

"They transmitted some vids to Shiala a while ago, but then nothing more," Joker answered.

"That kid better be safe," Wrex growled from the side of the Mako.

Shepard glanced over to where the krogan had a death grip on his weapon.

"Or we're going to need a lot more body bags," he grumbled.

Garrus wisely held his comments, concentrating on getting them to the rendezvous point.

"Joker, patch me in to the chief," the commander wanted a first hand report.

"Um, sorry, Commander, but I can't do that," the pilot apologized.

"Joker..." the spectre's voice was steel.

"She dropped off the grid, I can't get a signal from her."

At that, Shepard slowly extracted the comm link from her pocket, staring at its lifeless display. Remembering Liara's earlier experience, she disassembled the device and carefully reconnected the components. Hitting the power, she watched the boot sequence and groaned when it failed to find its mate.

A cold dread settled into the pit of her stomach as she felt the Mako slow its forward progress. Within minutes, they were driving into the Normandy's bay.

The spectre unbuckled her restraint and leapt from her seat. She was on her way to the bridge before the bay door had completely closed.

As Shepard came to stand next to Joker, they were joined by the asari who was geared up in battle armor.

"Commander, " Shiala nodded to her in greeting.

"I wish to join you if I may. My biotics may be useful," the asari petitioned.

Shepard noted the determined set of her jaw and forced a smile.

"Thank you, Shiala, your presence would be welcome."

Joker glanced between the two, trying to pick up any hidden signals. Damn, he thought, they were hiding it well. He again felt sorry for Liara, caught up with these powerful women. He knew which asari he was routing for.

"Anything else we can do while we're in transit?" the spectre broke the silence.

"I linked with the vid cam earlier to download some footage. I may be able to access it again," the asari speculated.

"Let's go, it's worth a try," the spectre said as she turned to make her way to the comm room.

"Joker, have Garrus and Wrex meet us there," she ordered.

"And you can patch into the screen there, authorized this time, of course," she teased.

The pilot winced at the comment. Did she know what he had witnessed?

"Yes, Ma'am," was the safest response he could make.

On the way past navigation, the commander paused before her grim faced XO, asking Pressly to join them. She needed her second in command to know what was going on.

In the comm room, Shepard watched as violet fingers swept over the main terminal, bringing the main viewer to life. The swish of the door announced the arrival of Garrus, followed almost immediately by the krogan battlemaster. Glancing over, the spectre noted the full assortment of weapons that the krogan now sported. He was ready for action.

"Well? I didn't know this trip came with a vid." the krogan was sarcastic as he unsuccessfully hid his concern.

"Shiala is trying to link to the cam at the site. Give us a little taste of what we'll find," the spectre told the pair.

The commander's attention was brought back to the asari as she paused at the terminal.

"I have access, commander," Shiala announced.

All eyes were on the screen as the room within the pyramid came into view. The unmoving focus was on a floor to roof column of pure white light cutting an otherwise darkened room.

"Where do you suppose that is?" Garrus was the first to voice the question on their minds.

"This is a live feed," the asari explained

"The cam is sound activated and we are not getting any audio, so the room is just as we see it," she added.

"Can you access its storage? See what happened?" the commander requested.

"Joker, you there?"

"Of course, Commander," he responded quickly.

"How long ago did the chief report in?"

"No more than 35 minutes ago, ma'am, I'll check the exact time," the pilot was happy to be adding to the discussion.

"No need, Joker," she said quickly.

"Shiala, see if you can go back to the earliest footage from today, we need to get the whole picture."

"Commander, 5 minutes ETA to the pyramid." Joker announced.

Wrex and Garrus jumped to their feet, ready to leave.

"Thanks, Joker, we need to see this, though. I want to know what we're walking into," the commander's words settled everyone back down although the krogan was not happy with the delay.

"Better not take too long," the battlemaster grumbled.

The screen flickered to life showing the pyramid in the bright sunlight. The cam panned the scene; bring a parade of characters into view as they made their way to the pyramid. Rayn was in the lead, her excitement evident on her face and in the bounce of her step. They watched as the scientists and marines entered the pyramid and shared in their amazement as the details of the interior were brought into view.

The crew of the Normandy watched the mad scurry of activity to the background sounds of gunfire and the ensuing quiet. Shepard inhaled sharply as an unconscious Liara was brought in and gently laid next to the terrified child.

They stepped closer to the screen, seething in outrage as the salarian grabbed Rayn and joined in the frustration as the events unfolded. They watched helplessly as the girl was pulled into the light and the others followed. Shepard saw the steel look in Ashley's eyes as she spoke to the turian before grabbing supplies and following. She marveled at the marine's clear thinking and mouthed a prayer for her to keep the group safe.

The scene returned to the dark room split only by the column of light.

As Shiala cut the feed, the group in the comm room stood silently, each lost in their own thoughts. As if on cue, they felt the Normandy softly touch down on the planet's surface.

Shepard was the first to move, anger and resolve fighting for dominance across her features. Wrex was behind her in an instant and the others joined her as they headed thorough the door. The spectre paused only briefly to give quiet commands to her navigator. Her plans had formed in an instant. She knew there were no options other than to go in after the scientists. The commander trusted in her chief's decision and knew she would have only gone in if she had thought she would find them. Grabbing the emergency kit had told the spectre everything she needed to know.

"But Commander," Pressly said hesitantly, "what if they won't come?"

"Don't worry, they'll come," she responded without a hint of doubt.

She swept past her XO and headed down to the Mako bay, stopping only at her locker to refresh her weapons and ammo.

As she rejoined the group, she noticed that everyone was fully armed, including the asari. Looking out the bay door, she mentally thanked her pilot who had put them down within feet of its entrance. She nodded to them and trotted out.

A shout caught her attention as a turian emerged from behind the remains of a Geth armature.

"Thanks the gods, you're here," Teagan exclaimed.

He was joined by a relieved group of marines as they met at the pyramid's entrance.

"Commander, our comm gear was destroyed, sorry we could not get word to you," a young corporal spoke for the group.

"They're all gone!" Shepard ignored Teagan's outburst as she addressed the marine.

"Report please, Corporal," she ordered.

The young marine outlined the events as he had witnessed them adding details of the interior struggle from Teagan's account. Throughout the narrative, the turian just stood and nodded. The corporal continued to describe the current defenses and ended with a status of the team. All in all, very well done, the commander thought, taking note of the young man's name.

"Good work, Corporal," the marine stood taller at the commander's words.

"Stay alert, we're going inside."

The spectre returned his crisp salute as she entered the pyramid.

The enormity of the space struck her as she passed the threshold. The vid did not give a true perspective. The sheer size of the column was astounding. As they had viewed, the center was dominated by the column of light, but the entire interior was covered with engravings which softly glowed.

They cautiously approached the column and stopped as soon as they felt its pull.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" the krogan barked, starting to head closer.

"Wait," the spectre snapped.

"Garrus, think we can fit the Mako into that light?" she asked.

"I guess so, Commander, if we can get it through the door," the turian answered thoughtfully.

"I'm not sure what we'll find on the other side, I'd rather have its armor around us."

"We can also bring extra supplies," Shiala suggested.

"I'm on my way, Commander," Garrus called out as he left the pyramid.

Shepard relayed their plan to the Normandy, giving Joker a list supplies that she wanted loaded.

"How long you planning on taking?" the pilot asked, surprised at the amount of gear.

"Packing just like a woman," he muttered under his breath.

While they were waiting, Shepard followed the Prothean expert around the interior as she excitedly translated the runes.

"From what I can piece together, it is some kind of gateway," Shiala exclaimed.

"Any indication of where we to?" the spectre asked hopefully.

"I am not sure we would recognize the location anyway, but there are no locations that I can find," the asari answered.

Their conversation was interrupted as the Mako rolled slowly through the entrance.

"Well, I guess it does fit," Wrex commented.

"So let's go already," he added, balking at the delay.

As they moved toward the Mako door, the asari hesitated.

"Commander," she called.

"Maybe one of us should enter first," Shiala began.

"What if they are at the gateway's egress? We do not want to run them over with the Mako," she continued.

The spectre nodded, cringing at her oversight. Some rescue party they would make if they trampled the scientists.

"I'll go, give me a few minutes to clear out, then come on in," Wrex said, already in motion.

He stepped into the light before anyone could question his decision.

Shepard and Shiala glanced quickly at each other and then boarded the Mako.

"Make sure you go in exactly where he went through," the commander instructed.

"We don't exactly know how this gateway works."

"Think that's enough lead time?" Garrus asked, sensing the impatience in the spectre.

"If he's not clear by now, he'll never be," Shepard answered.

"Hold on then," Garrus warned them as he sent the Mako into the light.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Ashley's senses were overwhelmed as she was bombarded by light and sound. She concentrated on holding on to the kit in her hand as the sensation of falling stole her breath. Her gasp of surprise was matched by a pained grunt as a soft cushion broke her fall. The chief rolled and bounced her feet, concern flooding her eyes as she saw the asari she had landed on wince in pain.

"Liara, are you OK?" the marine exclaimed as she knelt by the asari's side.

"I was up to a minute ago," the doctor said weakly, unsuccessfully trying to rise.

"I must have blacked out, where are the others?" Liara's question hung in the air.

"Don't move, let me look around," the chief ordered as she pulled two light rods from the kit. Ashley ignited both and handed one to the prone asari.

"Wait," the doctor grimaced as she disregarded the chief's instructions and stood up on wobbly legs.

"I don't need anyone else landing on me," she commented as she slowly moved toward the side of the cave.

"I'm really sorry about that, Doc," the marine apologized, helping the asari move to another position.

"Boy, are you solid," the scientist teased.

"Anything broken?" Ashley ignored the asari's quip as she evaluated her friend's condition.

"I do not think so, well, maybe a cracked rib or two, I can not take a deep breath," the doctor closed her eyes as she spoke.

T'Soni winced as she probed her left side. Apprehension was replaced by disappointment as she brought out the contents of her hip pocket. The screen on her communicator was a spider web of cracks.

"Oh, Liara, I am really sorry," the chief repeated, taking the comm from the distraught asari.

"I thought she may be able to find us through this. Not anymore," the scientist said dejectedly.

Examining the device, the marine looked up hopefully.

"Well, all's not lost. It looks like it's still transmitting."

Settling the injured asari on a flat outcropping of rock, Ashley carefully wrapped the damaged communicator in a cloth and tucked it into the bag. She put the kit where the doctor could easily reach it and handed her a pistol.

"There should be plenty of medi gel in the kit. Stay here and let me see where that whelp of ours has gotten off to," the marine couldn't hide her look of concern as the asari flinched at every move.

"Ashley, " the asari's quiet voice was loud in the emptiness that surrounded them.

"Where do you think we are?"

The gunnery chief turned slowly and trained a beam of light across the chamber they found themselves in. The natural cavern was roughly the same size as the interior of the pyramid, but lacked the engravings and column. The light's circuit illuminated multiple large tunnels leading off the main area.

Retracing their steps, the marine examined the ground near the area they landed. She systematically expanded the circumference of her search and came across the inert form of one of the salarians. As she rolled him over, the lifeless eyes and the unnatural roll of Orran's neck told the story of his demise. Damn, she thought, wrong salarian. She cursed again and continued her search, her steps quickening as she fought to control the panic that threatened to surface.

Finally, she let out a sigh of relief as she found a set of small footprints leading toward one of the openings. That emotion was quickly replaced by one of anger as she saw the second set of footprints join the first. Pravin was going to pay dearly for his actions and this time there was no vid cam to witness her methods.

Careful not to disrupt any of the prints, the chief picked up a rock and scraped arrows at eye level on the right side of the opening and on the right wall of the tunnel. Then, thinking of a story she had read, she repeated the markings inconspicuously just about the ground. Returning to the asari, she described what she had found.

"Poor Orran," the asari commented.

"He should never have followed Pravin," she added.

"We all make our own choices, he choose poorly," the chief's tone ended that thread of conversation.

Ashley glanced at the undisturbed kit at the doctor's side.

"You really should treat that side, I'll get the gel for you," the chief's gentle command normally would have ended the conversation, but the asari wouldn't hear of it.

"Come now, Ash, be practical," T'Soni pleaded.

"We have no other supplies and have no idea how long we will have to survive out of that bag. I think we need to conserve our usage, especially if it is not life threatening," the scientist's quiet logic had the chief shaking her head.

"Well, can you walk?" the marine asked.

"I think so, it just may take me a minute to get started," the asari smiled weakly as she got to her feet.

"I'd let you rest here, but I don't know how far ahead of us they are," the chief apologized.

"Do not worry, I will be fine," Liara gritted her teeth and started off toward the tunnel the chief had marked.

Marveling at her companion's determination, the chief slung the kit over her shoulder and followed.

Before long, they heard voices ahead of them as the tunnel opened up into another chamber. Ashley's grip on the asari's arm prevented her from rushing into the cavern. After quickly marking the tunnel entrance, the marine doused their light rods and the pair quietly crept along the wall. Liara ran her fingers reverently over the velvety growth on the cave's walls. The tiny plants gave off a glow that softly illuminated the chamber.

Toward the center of the cavern, they could make out an underground lake softly lapping at a small shore. It was here that Pravin was arguing with the young girl.

Moving closer, their words were clear as their voices echoed.

"You're so thirsty, you taste it," Rayn's voice held only annoyance.

"I'm not going anywhere near it," she said definitively stepping away from the water.

"Now, child, don't be so.." the salarian's words were cut short as the sound of a loud roar echoed through the chamber.

Ashley turned toward the tunnel they had just vacated, sure that the sound had come from that direction. She looked at the asari and saw the look of confusion that must have mirrored her own. The chief shrugged her shoulders and turned back to see the salarian manhandling the girl toward another tunnel opening, the look on his face that of sheer terror.

"But I don't want to keep running," the girl whined plaintively.

"You would rather be dinner for that creature?" Pravin asked.

"You're more afraid of the chief and the commander," the youngster accused.

"Cause when they catch you, you'll probably prefer to be that monster's dinner," Rayn's smirk continued as she ducked the salarian's backhand, but she ceased to struggle as they exited the chamber through another tunnel.

Ashley silently cheered on the girl, impressed with Rayn's composure given the circumstances. With any other twelve year old, she would have believed that they were not aware of the danger they were in. But with this special youngster, she knew that it was bravado borne out of the confidence in her own ability to reason her way out of any situation. She couldn't wait to get the girl back at their side; she was only one clear shot away from that goal. Helping the slumping asari back to her feet, they silently continued to follow, pausing only to mark their route through the unforgiving maze of tunnels.

_

* * *

__A/N: Sorry for the cheap Indiana Jones quote – been playing Lego Indy (hey, it's not only for kids!) and just couldn't resist!_


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Krograns did not usually land gracefully. Sensing the freefall, Wrex's biotics flared as he simultaneously shielded and pushed against the rapidly approaching ground. The result was a somewhat controlled if not elegant arrival.

He pulled a light rod and ignited it, looking around the large chamber. Seeing the area was clear, he jogged over to the side and started examining the ground as he waited for the Mako to appear. He had just noticed the marked tunnel when his ears picked up a dull hum that escalated in pitch. The battle master's other senses tingled as the air in the chamber began to vibrate. A loud roar pierced the silence as the Mako materialized. With a crash, the vehicle bounced on all six wheels, coming to a rocking halt in the middle of the cavern.

"Everyone OK?" the commander asked, trying unsuccessfully to shake the cobwebs from her head.

Shiala and Garrus each responded in the positive, but neither seemed very convincing.

"Status, Garrus?" she barked.

"Systems are all online, Commander, but we have no comm signal," Garrus reported as his fingers flew across the console.

"Damn, I was hoping to get a reading on where we are," she muttered.

Unbuckling her restraint, she rose and stretched out muscles that had been battered in the rough landing. As her hand passed over the bulge in her pocket, she quickly withdrew the communicator and unconsciously held her breath as she looked at the screen. A grin spread across her face as the clear red blip displayed the location of its mate.

"It's active again," Shepard exclaimed, "we should be able to reach them now. Comm signal is a little weak, I'll try it outside. Garrus, see if you can find our krogan."

The commander's step was light as she bounded out the Mako door. Garrus and Shiala exchanged a glance, then a smile and followed her lead. It was good to see her mood lighten. Once outside, the three stood for a moment, allowing their eyes to adjust to the dim glow of the chamber. They saw the flicker of a light rod move across the far side of the cavern.

"Over here," the krogan bellowed.

As Garrus and Shiala went to join the battle master, Shepard pulled out the communicator and glared at the screen. Unable to reach an extranet comm link, a secure channel could not be established. She switched over to an open channel and was rewarded with a clear signal. Breathing a sigh of relief, she initiated a call and was rewarded only with static. After a few more unsuccessful attempts, she slammed the device back into her pocket and stomped over to the others.

Wrex was kneeling on the ground, his huge bulk covering what he was investigating. As the others joined him, he stood up, revealing the body he had been examining. Shiala gasped as she recognized the salarian while Garrus bent down to get a first hand view.

"What do you think happened?" the asari asked.

"Well, from the looks of it, salarians don't bounce," the battle master replied.

"I do not understand," the scientist looked confused.

"He must have landed on his head when he came through the portal. There's bruising on his forehead and his neck is broken," the turian's report was given in a matter of fact tone.

As the spectre joined them, they noticed the scowl on her face.

"What's up, Commander?" Wrex was the first to speak up. "Your asari too busy for you?"

"Signal is strong, but there's no response," the spectre snarled, then noticed Orran's body on the ground. Garrus again explained what he thought had happened and the spectre just nodded.

"What of the others, Wrex? Any signs?" she addressed the krogan.

"Just some tracks, Commander," he said, leading them over to the marked tunnel entrance.

Garrus joined them at the tunnel after conducting a search of his own.

"Looks like they left in two groups – first Pravin and Rayn, then Ashley and Liara," Garrus chipped in.

"If that lizard hurts that kid, I'm going to pound him into a hanar," the krogran growled.

"These markings are definitely Ashley's and she's worried about who else is down here," the commander commented after inspecting the tunnel's dual markings.

"Why do you say that?" Shiala asked.

"There was an old earth fairy tale about two children who were lost deep in a cave and were being chased by a demon. They didn't want to lose their way, but didn't want the demon to follow them so they put false trail markers at their eye level, but real ones at the bottom," the spectre related the story that Ashley had once told her on one of their endless elevator rides.

"What happened?" the asari was always curious about other culture's folk stories.

"I think the kids got away, the demon got hopelessly lost and everyone lived happily ever after."

"OK, so we follow the bottom signs, that should be easy enough," Garrus stated.

"If she is being so careful, I am not sure driving the Mako in is the best course of action, Commander," Shiala respectfully suggested.

"You're right, we may want to surprise our misguided salarian, can't do that if we're crashing around in the Mako. We go on foot for a while and see if we can catch them. Garrus, button it up though, will you? Wouldn't want someone here to jack it," Shepard commented with a half smile.

Shepard grabbed the krogan's arm as he attempted to brush by her.

"You can try a little stealth too, OK?" she asked.

"This body wasn't built for stealth, Shepard," he grumbled.

"If you go rushing in, Rayn may pay for your impatience," she added, hoping to make him see some reason.

Hesitating, the battle master shook his head. "It just isn't natural, no promises."

"Good, let's go," she said as Garrus rejoined them.

Attempting to be silent, they followed the tunnel to the next chamber. Garrus signaled for the team to wait and traced the footprints to the lake. Impatient, Wrex started to pace and noticed the second set of prints. He followed them to the next tunnel marker and returned to the group.

"Rayn is definitely being pulled along by Pravin," Garrus reported. "There are scuffles in some places and he's dragging her in others."

"Well I have some more good news, Ashley's practically carrying Liara," Wrex added.

The tension rose as both the spectre and the battle master fingered their weapons almost on queue. They took off down the next tunnel at a trot, not waiting for the others to catch up. At each turn, they followed the lower marking, chasing after the chief. Garrus and Shiala also followed, but at a slower pace, examining each of the rooms they encountered. They finally came to an intersection where they were intercepted and motioned to silence. Ahead in the next chamber, heated voices could be heard.

As they quietly crept into the fringe of the cavern, they kept to the shadows remaining undetected. Shepard silently drew her pistol while the krogan's assault rifle jumped into view. The scene playing out in front of them was reminiscent of the one in the pyramid, only there were fewer players. Pravin was using Rayn as a shield, Ashley had her rifle drawn and pointed at his head. The briefest flicker of a shield flashed across the girl's body, then disappeared. Liara was slumped on the ground behind the chief.

"Let her go, Pravin," the chief demanded. "There's no where for you to run to this time."

"It's not that easy, Chief Williams, " the salarian whined.

"Let me make it a lot easier for you," the krogran roared as his biotics flared and the salarian was thrown into the far wall.

A full shield shimmered across Rayn just moments before a grenade blast. The girl was thrown into the air by the force of the grenade that the scientist had dropped. Another unseen hand gentled her landing and the gunnery chief was the first to reach the fallen girl. The commander shot a thankful look over to the violet asari. Everyone let out a collective breath as the girl stood up, brushed herself off and collapsed into the marine's arms.

Shepard had barely reached the prone asari when the ground began to rumble. The hardened dirt and rock split to reveal a huge creature, all teeth and claws. Having been disturbed from its long slumber by the explosion, the beast was in a rage over the trespassers on its territory. No one moved and the animal seemed confused. Then a flurry of fire erupted from the direction of the krogan and the beast screamed its fury as it charged toward the sound.

The spectre drew her shotgun and emptied her chamber as Ashley and Garrus joined in the fray. From her peripheral vision, Shepard noticed the asari guiding the youngster down a tunnel. Shiala returned and gently lifted Liara's form, bringing her to the relative safety of the tunnel as well. The commander was now free to move about as the team engaged the beast. Coordinating their efforts, the four seasoned warriors soon had the creature at bay and the krogan fired the last round that downed the beast for good.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

"What the hell was that?" asked the chief her breath coming in short gasps.

"Anyone hurt?" the commander asked.

She surveyed her team, thankful for the shaking heads all the way around. With that, she turned and hurried off to the side tunnel that the asari had entered.

The krogan prodded the still form with his boot. "Almost looks like a small thresher maw," he observed.

"Great, that's all we need," Ashley added.

The gunnery chief followed the spectre into the side tunnel. They were met immediately by Rayn, who threw her arms around the spectre for a quick hug before moving on to Ashley's embrace. The spectre's attention was riveted on the unmoving form of the asari. She knelt at Liara's side and checked her pulse. Relieved at the strong beat, the commander grimaced at the shallow breathing that seemed to be causing her a great deal of pain. The chief came to kneel beside her as she removed the doctor's dented armor.

"What happened to her, Ash?" Shepard asked quietly.

"I fell on her when we landed," the chief admitted. "And I think she's exhausted her biotics."

"We have to get her back to the Mako, all the medical supplies are there," Shepard replied, her brow creased with worry.

Garrus and Wrex joined the women in the tunnel, neither looking particularly happy.

"Pravin is gone," Garrus stated simply. "He must have recovered and ran when we were fighting that creature."

Catching sight of the battle master, the young girl squeaked with delight and jumped into his arms. He caught her easily and flipped her in the air.

"Easy there kid, you're going to ruin my tough image," he joked, messing up her unruly hair.

Not wanting to miss a single one of her friends, Rayn jumped down from the krogan's embrace and hugged the turian.

"Miss me, Bug?" she teased.

Garrus just smiled at the girl and placed her down gently, his attention on the scene at the side of the tunnel. The image of the chief and commander kneeling by the doctor's side quickly sobered everyone.

"We need to get her to the Mako," the commander repeated.

Wrex moved closer and with a nod from the spectre, scooped up the unconscious scientist and headed back toward the Mako with Garrus leading the way. Ashley followed closely behind, holding Rayn's hand. Shepard paused, her hand on the Shiala's arm.

"Thank you, Shiala," the spectre said softly.

"I did not do anything to deserve your thanks, Commander," the asari replied, embarrassed at Shepard's words.

"You've been the voice of reason throughout this mission, you've shielded everyone but yourself and you got Rayn and Liara to safety when that beast appeared. I'd say that deserves my gratitude," Shepard replied emphatically, looking directly into the asari's eyes.

"I.. I didn't think anyone noticed," Shiala stammered, her cool composure challenged.

"Well I have and we're damn lucky you're a part of our team. Thank you, Shiala," the commander repeated, pleased with the slow smile that crept across the asari's face.

"C'mon, we have to catch up with them."

The spectre started to jog down the tunnel and smiled as the asari quickly came to her side. Two tunnels later, they had caught up with the others. Moving ahead, they followed the twists and turns of the tunnel, pausing only to check the markings. Arriving at the voluminous cavern where they first landed, the commander quickly keyed in the code to open the Mako. Looking around, she went to the rear of the vehicle and tore open the storage hatch. The cargo area was just about right for what she had in mind. Explaining her idea to the asari, they worked quickly to ready the area.

When Wrex arrived, he was escorted to the new mobile med bay at the rear of the Mako. He gently placed Liara on the makeshift bunk and left her to the care of the women. Shepard heard a brief argument that quieted quickly as the krogan and turian exited, taking the young human with them. The spectre quickly removed her own armor as Ashley unbuckled the asari's. Shiala brought in all the disinfectants and medi gel she could find.

"I'm not even sure where to begin," the spectre said softly.

"If you join with her, you will know where her injuries are," the older asari suggested.

Shepard looked at the violet asari. "How can I do that?" she asked.

"You have joined often enough to know the feel of it, right? Meditate, get close enough to her consciousness and she will pull you in," Shiala replied in a matter of fact tone.

"OK, I will try," the spectre said weakly, doubt gnawing at her.

"You can do this, Shepard. We will be outside the door, call if you need us," the asari was gone before the spectre could respond dragging the hesitant marine with her.

She looked down at her lover and noticed the pinched brow that spoke of pain. With a heavy heart, she started removing Liara's clothing, wincing in sympathy at the deep bruising that ran from her left shoulder down to her waist. As she removed the doctor's trousers, she saw the discoloration continue to the asari's knee. There was not much blue at all to be seen, only ugly purple and black marring the skin.

Taking the disinfectant, she gently cleaned Liara's body, gingerly passing over the injured area. When she was satisfied that both she and the asari were as sanitary as possible, Shepard placed the medi gel within reach and closed her eyes. She thought of their prior joinings and of the love and peace that each union had brought her. She emptied her mind of all the worry and concentrated on the core of her lover, silently pleading for an answer. She felt a dim stirring and was completely unprepared for the crash of pain that overwhelmed her senses.

The spectre was drowning in the sensations that bombarded her mind. Slowly, she gained control and started to pinpoint areas. Drawing on reserves she didn't know she possessed, Shepard opened her eyes and returned to her own body, maintaining the link to her mate's. As she started to apply the medi gel, the assault on her senses diminished. She probed and treated every area until the pain was only a dull ache and a dark weariness seemed to overtake her. Withdrawing her senses from the asari's mind brought a cool relief to her own. The spectre felt guilty at not sharing the pain, but was unable to maintain the link for any longer.

Shepard drew a blanket over the sleeping asari and slumped to the floor as her eyes became too heavy to keep open. She fell asleep with her head nestled in her arms, content in knowing that Liara was within reach.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Unable to control her patience any longer, Ashley quietly entered the Mako. As she made her way to the rear, the only sound she heard was that of quiet breathing. Her attention focused on the sleeping asari, she tripped over the spectre's outstretched hand. Shepard sat up, startled and smiled at the contrite marine.

The spectre stood, stretched muscles that were strained by her unusual sleeping position and looked at the sleeping asari. Her breathing was much deeper and her smooth face seemed to be pain free. Putting her finger to her lips, the commander ushered the marine from the cramped quarters, dimming the lights and following her out the door.

"How long was I out?" the spectre asked as she continued to work the kinks out of her back.

"About 5 hours. We were itching to go in after an hour, but Shiala wouldn't let us," Ashley said, glancing at the asari talking quietly with the young scientist. "Well, how is she?"

"I think she needs more rest, but I think she's much better," Shepard replied.

Noticing that the spectre had emerged, the rest of the team gathered around her, eager for her report. Shiala handed her a canteen and food pack before moving to the side.

"Nice of you to join us, Commander," the krogan grumbled, but the concern in his eyes was genuine.

"How's Dr. T'Soni?" Rayn asked excitedly.

"I think she is well on her way to recovery, she just needs more rest," Shepard stated.

"That's just what we all need," Garrus declared.

As the commander looked around, she realized that they had set up camp along the periphery of the cave away from the tunnel entrances. Portable shelters were in place as well as a defensive perimeter. Garrus headed to the nearest one, disappearing into its interior.

"I'm on first watch, the rest of you turn in," Wrex ordered, then sheepishly looked to the commander. "If that's OK with you, Shepard."

Taking her nodded assent, he grabbed Rayn and started toward the shelter the girl would share with Ashley and Shiala. They could hear the argument continue between the two until she was unceremoniously dumped in the shelter. The spectre took a long drink from the canteen, not realizing until the water touched her throat how thirsty she had been. She opened the food pack and devoured that as quickly.

"So you were successful," the asari stated, handing the commander another food pack.

"How did you know that?" Shepard quizzed her, taking the offering but consuming it at a much more normal pace.

"The amount of rest and food you require afterward," Shiala explained. "It is much the same when a young asari attempts her first joining. It takes a long time to accomplish and is very tiring."

"Is that why you kept everyone away?" Ashley asked.

"It is very difficult to concentrate if you are interrupted," the researcher maintained.

"I think I would have been lost if I were interrupted. It did take all of my concentration," Shepard's reply was thoughtful.

Ashley gave the commander the comic summary of all the attempts of the team during the past 5 hours. It seemed that each of the crew had tried to get past the dutiful asari, but she had stood her ground. Shiala had even had to go so far as to threaten Wrex with her biotics to get him to stand down. Shepard smiled as she heard that, imagining the scene.

"It seems I am in your debt once again, Shiala," the commander said softly.

"I am honored to be able to help, Commander," the asari replied smoothly this time.

"Any sign of Pravin?" Shepard asked.

"No, I guess my top markings worked after all," Ashley answered. "You were the only one who knew the story, I had hoped you remembered it."

"Garrus and Wrex did go out at different times searching for him, but they were both unsuccessful," the researcher added.

"I say we just leave him for the next creature we meet, " Wrex chimed in, joining their conversation. "Hey, that whelp is going to try to escape unless one of you are in there with her."

"I will go, I am tired, " Shiala volunteered. "Rest well."

As Wrex left to continue his circuit of the camp, Ashley watched the asari retreat into the shelter. She thought back to when she first joined the Normandy's crew and how she had felt toward other races. Hell, she hardly even considered them aliens any more. She shook her head in wonder. Noticing the commander's questioning stare, she just shrugged her shoulders.

"So what's next, Commander?" she asked.

"I guess we squeeze everyone in the Mako, take every tunnel that goes upward and keep our fingers crossed that we get to the surface before we run out of power." Shepard had been turning that over in her head from the moment they landed.

"And what of our salarian friend?"

"If he finds us, we deal with him. But I'm not wasting any time searching for him. He's sealed his own fate," the spectre's reply was icy. "The only question would be which one of us gets to shoot him first."

Ashley smiled at the fire in her friend's words. She knew the rest of the team shared in the sentiment. If they did come across him, they would just have to remember to divert Rayn's attention. That girl had experienced enough already.

"So, exactly how did you do so much damage to Liara?" Shepard asked the chief, hiding a smile.

"Um, well, I just sort of fell on her," the marine squirmed under the attention. "It was an accident."

She went on to fill in the details of their arrival through the portal and what they had witnessed with Pravin and Rayn.

"I guess we're not in too bad shape though the Salarian Union is going to be all over us for losing their two scientists," the spectre commented.

"Yeah, but one of their own caused this whole mess," the chief replied.

"The politicians will be working this one out for a while," the spectre sighed and covered a yawn.

"Looks like you could use a little more sleep, Shepard, " Ashley sounded concerned.

"I guess so, I'm sleeping in the Mako, in case she needs anything" the commander said as she got up and stretched.

"Yeah, sure, just in case," the marine quipped, smirking at the spectre.

"If I had the energy, I'd punch you about now, " the spectre replied, grinning.

Shepard watched Ashley head to the shelter, disappearing inside. She counted herself fortunate to have such a good friend. Ashley kept her grounded and knew when to push and when to obey. She couldn't ask for more. Silently she entered the Mako and reached the sleeping asari. Shepard marveled at her peaceful beauty and longed to touch her face. She grabbed a blanket and pillow this time and lay beneath Liara's bed, listening to the soft breathing above her.

Falling into a dreamless sleep of exhaustion, it wasn't until many hours later that she awakened. She listened carefully and smiled as she heard the asari murmuring in her sleep. Liara's breathing became more even as she fell into a deeper sleep. Feeling much more refreshed, the spectre quietly got up and went outside to find the entire team up and ready to go. The shelters were packed and everyone looked up from their places around the fire.

"And no one woke me?" she complained to deaf ears.

"We thought you needed your rest, " Shiala came over to her, a warm mug and food pack in her hand.

"Thanks," she said warmly to the asari and sat down with the rest of the team.

The team's spirits were up and they were excited to be on the move. Everyone was talking at once.

"Let me go check on Liara, then we'll get the Mako packed," the spectre said after finishing her breakfast.

"Yeah, that'll take a while," the chief teased, ignoring the spectre's glare.

"Chief Williams, you're really looking for trouble," the commander replied hiding a grin.

She got up and walked over to the Mako, eager to see how the asari had healed.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Shepard moved silently through the Mako until she reached the improvised bunk. She gazed at the sleeping form of the asari and marveled at the soft lines that she knew held unbelievable strength. With a critical eye, she watched the slow rise and fall of her chest under the thin blanket. Liara seemed to be breathing much easier, a fact that was supported by the smooth perfection of her forehead. Gone was the pinched brow that told of the great pain the asari had borne without complaint.

Gently sitting on the bunk beside her lover, Shepard ran her hand along the soft ridges, reveling in the velvet feel of the azure skin. Caressing her chin, she bent down and kissed the full lips with a gossamer touch. The spectre's heartbeat increased as the asari's eyelids fluttered, slowly opening to reveal the sea blue depths.

"Hello, beautiful," Shepard breathed, her voice thick with emotion.

Liara came fully awake with a gasp and drew the spectre down into a fiery kiss. The commander responded with equal ardor and finally broke off the kiss to tightly embrace the doctor.

"By the Goddess, I cannot believe you are here," the scientist murmured, almost afraid to let her lover out of her arms.

"I will always come for you, Liara," Shepard answered, her voice husky as she held the asari's face in both hands, capturing her lips.

Reluctantly, the commander sat up, her hands remaining in contact.

"How do you feel, Li?" the spectre asked, drawing back the blanket to reveal the dazzling blue of her lover's flesh.

"Looks like most of the bruising has healed already, " she added as she tenderly touched the side that had most recently been mottled with more dark colors than she had ever seen on asari skin.

"I feel wonderful," T'Soni replied, her eyes half lidded as she enjoyed the touch of her mate.

"No more pain when you breathe?" the commander asked, her inspection not quite complete.

"Not anymore," Liara answered and breathed in deeply to confirm her statement.

The spectre watched the rise and fall of her breast, enjoying the view.

"Do that again," the spectre requested.

The doctor complied, breathing deeply and relishing the pain free movement of her body. The commander took in every detail of the asari's form, admiration blooming into sweet longing.

"Once more, deeper this time, " Shepard asked.

Liara once again inhaled deeply and finally noticed the lustful grin on the spectre's face.

"So much for your medical concern," the scientist said, laughing.

Sitting up, she grabbed the commander's face in her hands and brought their lips together in a passionate kiss.

"They're waiting for us, you know," the spectre breathed, making no move to break off the contact.

"Then we better not take too long," Liara whispered.

Sighing her assent, the commander could no longer resist the naked asari before her. She closed her eyes, losing herself in the experience as their tongues danced in unison. Her hands caressed the windswept crest, followed the soft curve of the asari's neck and continued over lithe shoulders. She deftly massaged her lover's breasts, gentle circles on nipples that firmed under her touch. Eyes going black, the asari's gasp of pleasure echoed in Shepard's soul as she joined with the spectre.

The commander trailed kisses across the doctor's chin and down her graceful throat. Closing her eyes, Liara lay back down savoring the feel of soft lips as they continued to trace a path lower, setting her nerves afire. Delighting in the soft texture of human hair, the asari took hold of the spectre's head, smoothly guiding the lips onto her waiting breast. She inhaled sharply as the spectre's feathery kiss hungrily latched on, sucking her nipple hard. Moving to the other side, the commander repeated her attack. Liara moaned as she held the commander's face in place, not wanting the sensation to end.

Shepard looked up and smiled as their eyes met while her hands continued lower, caressing stomach and thighs. Sharing in the bond, the pleasure she was inflicting on the asari radiated in her own body and they gasped as one when she slipped in a finger, quickly followed by a second. Slow and deep at first, the tempo increasing with each stroke. Liara raised her hips, forcing the spectre deeper.

Feeling the trembling beginning, the spectre slowed her pace, drawing out the moment. She was surprised when a gentle force guided her hand and she allowed the asari to control the rhythm. Liara cried out and the spectre felt her body crash in unison as their tension was released. They held each other until the shaking subsided and waited until their breathing steadied. Shepard gently kissed each ridge and the tip of her nose before lingering for a long, deep kiss which took their breath.

"I see your control has improved," the commander teased.

"Yes, I have been practicing. Biotics have many more uses than combat, if you use some finesse," the doctor replied coyly.

"Hmm, I don't even want to know, but I'm sure you'll show me," Shepard laughed as she disengaged and stood. "We should probably get out there, they'll be wondering what's taking so long."

"I do not think Ashley is wondering at all, but she will tease us anyway," the doctor smiled. "Do I happen to have any clothing here?"

"I'm enjoying you just like that, but I really don't want to share, so here," Shepard answered, reaching to the shelf above to retrieve the asari's uniform.

As the spectre watched her lover dress, she swam in the emotions that were filling her chest. She had never experienced the depth of feeling that the asari brought out. Whether it was an after effect of their joining or the realization of finding a soul mate, she was just thankful that they were together.

"I think I am ready," the scientist declared as she stood and straightened out her tunic.

The spectre stepped closer and wrapped the asari in a tight embrace.

"I thought I had lost you, Li," she murmured. "It felt like someone had ripped my heart out of my chest."

"I knew you would find me, it was just a matter of time," the asari whispered. "I dreamed that you were here, joined with me."

Shepard chuckled. "I was. That's how I knew where your injuries were."

It was Liara's turn to be surprised. "But how?"

"That's a story for another day, love," the commander smiled and winked. "Let's go show everyone you're all recovered, shall we?"

The spectre grabbed the unbelieving scientist's hand and led her out of the Mako.

* * *

_Thanks to Elizabeth Carter who added so much more detail to the concept of the asari joining. Her story "Night before Ilos" inspired this chapter. _


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Rayn was the first to spot the emergence of her mentor from the Mako and ran over to greet her. Wrapping her arms around the asari, the girl hugged her tightly. Then, with a look of alarm, quickly let go and stepped back.

"I'm sorry, did that hurt you, Dr. T'Soni," she asked fearfully.

"Not at all, dear, come here," Liara responded, scooping the girl back into an even tighter embrace. "I am fine now."

Shepard looked on from Mako's door as the others crowded around the doctor, a smile on her face. Ashley came over to stand next to her, also observing the joyful scene.

"Go ahead, I'm waiting," the spectre said, waiting for the marine's ribbing to begin.

"I was just going to say you did good, Skipper," Ashley smiled, looking at the asari moving painlessly. I really did bang her up pretty good." Glancing at the spectre's raised eyebrow, she quickly added, "When I fell on her."

"Yes, you did," Shepard laughed.

"You know, you did take an awful long time to wake her, now that I think about it," the chief teased. "Did you have fun playing doctor?"

"Yes, I did, " the spectre grinned. "You want details?" The commander chuckled at the marine's stunned look, a deep blush creeping up her face as the tables were turned. "C'mon, let's get these wheels back in shape so we can get going."

Ashley followed the spectre back into the Mako, shaking her head. It was good to see her friend in such a lighthearted mood. Sometimes she envied the relationship Shepard had with the asari, it must be great to have someone to share these experiences with. And some others, she thought with a smile. With the adventures that followed the spectre, she'd be luck to survive long enough to find someone. Maybe she should have called the spectre's bluff, that would have been interesting. Shepard was already pulling apart the storage area as she entered the back of the Mako. The makeshift bunk disappeared and was replaced by stacked boxes, strapped together to make serviceable, if not very comfortable looking seats.

"I really did like that bunk," the spectre commented with a sigh and a wink for the marine's benefit. "We'll have to take turns back here though, it may not be a pleasant ride on those."

"We'll manage. It's better than walking the whole way," the gunnery chief responded as she stowed the excess gear.

"We should do something with Orran before we leave too," the spectre declared solemnly.

"Sorry, Skip, you're a little late on that one," Ashley claimed. "The best we could do was a simple rock cairn in one of the side tunnels. Everyone helped while you and Liara were out."

"I'd like to see it, he was one of our team," Shepard said quietly, sometimes the weight of responsibility for all her people weighed heavily on her.

"I'll take you there while they're loading the rest of the gear," the chief replied, squeezing the commander's arm in support.

"Thanks Ash, Liara may want to come too," she added thinking of her mate. "For her first expedition as a leader, it's been a difficult one."

"Yeah, I guess losing half your team is never easy," the chief agreed. "Why don't you rescue her from her well wishers and meet me by the right tunnel?"

The commander nodded her agreement and left the Mako. Ashley did one more circuit around the storage area, making sure everything was tightly buttoned down then exited the vehicle.

Liara looked up at the sound of the Mako's door and smiled as her eyes met those of the commander. She still felt a sense of awe at times that this human spectre had chosen to be with her. Shepard had come after her, healed her and loved her, it was more than she could ever have imagined. The asari hoped that she was not too much of a disappointment to her mate. The council had put a great deal of faith in her, having her lead the scientific expedition. What looked to be most promising had turned into disaster. Liara hoped her failure would not reflect poorly on the spectre.

"Commander, we ready to load it up yet?" Wrex asked as she came over to join the group.

"Good to go, everyone grab something and get it on board. Liara and I will be right back," Shepard was all business as she led the asari to the side tunnel where the gunnery chief was waiting for them.

Noting the solemn faces of the two women, the doctor held her questions as they followed the chief. The tunnel was long, but without any side paths.

"It's right around that bend, " Ashley pointed the way. "I'm going back to help them stow everything."

The chief turned and quietly made her way back to the Mako. Taking the asari's hand, the spectre led her around the bend to a small alcove. The salarian's final resting place was a display in craftsmanship. Expecting a simple cairn, the commander was touched by the effort that the team had expended. Each stone was fit in place, forming a perfect pyramid. A fitting memorial, the spectre thought. The stone seemed recently cut, the commander made a mental note to ask Ashley about that.

"Orran?" Liara asked softly.

Nodding her head in reply, the spectre's arm encircled the asari's waist, giving her a sympathetic hug as they viewed the tomb. They stood for some minutes in silent contemplation.

"I do not know what to say," the scientist whispered, burying her face in the commander's shoulder, tears flowing freely.

"He was a good scientist, Li, but he made his own choice," Shepard replied, not expecting this reaction at all.

"It is not his death alone, Terran, but that young marine, Pravin, the pyramid, this whole expedition has been a complete failure. I am sure they will never let me set foot on the Normandy again" the asari sobbed.

The commander was surprised at hearing her given name, Liara used it rarely and only in very personal situations. It was a telling sign of the distress the asari was feeling. The spectre turned toward the doctor and pulled her into a strong embrace. It was easy sometimes to forget how young the asari was and how new all these experiences were for her.

"Liara, none of this is your fault and you're wrong about this mission being a failure. We know the Geth's interest is still there, your protégé opened a Prothean structure that's been standing unsolved for thousands of years. We survived a Prothean portal and still don't know what else we'll find. You're being too much of a scientist and not enough of an explorer. We didn't find what we expected, but we did discover things that were pretty extraordinary," the spectre replied, much stronger than she intended. "There's still a long road ahead of us. We need to get the rest of this team back in one piece. I need your mind and your strength. Are you ready for that?" Shepard challenged.

Liara looked up with a fire in her eyes, the tears gone as quick as they had come and nodded her head. The commander met her gaze with equal determination, proud of the asari's response. She turned and started down the tunnel, stopping after a few steps to glance behind her. Liara bent down and picked up a small stone. Placing it on the cairn, she stepped back and brushed off her hands.

"Farewell Orran, " she said softly and turned to join the spectre.

Hand in hand, they silently walked through the tunnel. Just before they reached the cavern, the doctor stopped abruptly and faced the spectre.

"I have behaved poorly, you must be disappointed in me," she said softly, eyes downcast.

"Disappointed? Don't be silly," Shepard replied, cupping the asari's chin and looking deep into her eyes. "I'm proud of you every moment," she declared and demonstrated the strength of her feelings.

They arrived back at the Mako in time to see Ashley directing everyone to their seats. The asari were taking the first turn in the back, Rayn between them. Garrus was piloting with the spectre at his side and the marine and krogan were each stationed at the side gun turrets.

"Status, Garrus?" the spectre asked as everyone settled in.

"We're at 90 power, no comm signal, all other systems good to go," the turian replied.

"Let's go, then," Shepard's command lightened all their spirits.

* * *

_A/N - Do you think this story is too long? Hoping to end it within the next 2 chapters but I'd appreciate your opinion on whether I've dragged this out too much. Thanks!_


	17. Chapter 17

_Just wanted to say thanks to everyone for the comments on the length of the story. Given the feedback, I guess I'll just let this one run on until it ends on its own. Please don't hesitate to let me know when it starts to get to be too much. Enjoy!_

* * *

Chapter 17

Sitting in front of the main viewer in the comm room, datapad in hand, Tali'Zorah Nar Rayya studied the vid frame by frame for what seemed the hundredth time. Ever since the turian had emerged from the pyramid with his horrific story, the quarian had been consumed by the structure's secrets. If a 12 year old human could intuitively understand the patterns, surely an expert tech should be able to follow the sequence. She restarted the vid once again and tried to find the missing pieces. It was not in her nature to be frustrated by a puzzle, but time was weighing heavily on her and Tali was not sure how much longer she would have.

Before taking the Mako into the portal, Shepard had given Teagan and the remaining marines explicit orders. They were to seal the pyramid by whatever methods necessary, ensuring that no Geth could follow their path. They were then to report what had happened to Councilor Anderson and follow his instruction from there. The marines, eager to set their charges, reluctantly agreed to bring the orders back to XO Pressly. A heated discussion had ensued. With the Chief Engineer's support, Tali had petitioned for time to study the vids taken of the entire scene. She had hoped to reverse Rayn's efforts and systematically close the pyramid's entrance without damaging anything. That way, they had the option of sending more help. If they blew the structure, there was no telling the impact on the portal or its destination. To her surprise, Pressly had readily agreed, but his patience, along with the rest of the crew was wearing thin at her apparent lack of success. The small skirmishes with Geth patrols had actually helped her cause, temporarily distracting the crew as they fought to keep the pyramid clear.

XO Pressly had actually jumped at the quarian's offer, even though his distaste for the alien's manner had initially been in her disfavor. The crew welcomed the chance to stay near the scene, to do something to help and avidly backed his decision. No one knew where the commander and her team had vanished to and sealing the pyramid with force seemed only to be sealing their fate as well. Pressly had watched the vids a number of times, as had everyone else. He alone had not been surprised at the salarian's actions. He expected nothing less from their kind. The navigator shared in the crew's distress as the girl was thrown into the portal and proudly watched the gunnery chief's act of bravery. He had not agreed with his commander's decision to go after the bunch. Why chase them? They had already sacrificed Gunnery Chief Williams, surely she would be able to handle whatever happened on the other end. But for the spectre to abandon her command and crew, dash off with a band of aliens and rush into the portal, to him was unconscionable. He thought it probably had something to do with that unholy bond she was rumored to have with the young asari. Unconscionable at best.

Tali looked at the cron display and was dismayed at the amount of time that had lapsed. She had one last series of glyphs to share with the turian, maybe he could make sense of it. After that, it just might come down to trial and error. Teagan Sonor had been a surprise. During the preparations for their mission, he had not overly impressed her. But his actions of the past days had changed her opinion. Recovering quickly from his experience within the pyramid, the turian had proved to be an invaluable aid to her study. He not only kept the curious, well intentioned, crew at bay, but his scientific powers of observation had pointed out details within the frames that she had missed. He was very eager to help, to do something to get his team back. As if on cue, the door swished open and the turian came striding in.

"Well, my good quarian, solved that little riddle of ours yet?" he asked.

"Not exactly, Teagan, but I would appreciate your opinion of this," she responded, pointing to her datapad, going through her hypothesis with him.

As she explained her latest theory out loud, she heard the holes in it and saw the errors. Dejectedly, she placed the datapad on the side panel and hung her head. As the turian reached over to comfort his new friend, his elbow caught the side of the datapad and sent it crashing to the floor. Tali's horrified expression turned to one of elation as she viewed the screen from the angle at which it had landed.

"That is it!" the tech specialist exclaimed as the patterns become clear to her.

Startled by her outburst, Teagan shrugged his shoulders.

"Glad I could help," he said with a confused look on his face.

The turian had to hurry to follow her as she jumped up and dashed out the door. Pressly was not at his usual station, so Tali continued up to the bridge.

"Hello, Joker," she happily greeted the pilot.

"What brings you to this end of the ship, Ma'am?" Joker asked.

For some reason, the young quarian was never at the butt of any of his jokes. Word on the ship was that he was afraid she'd reprogram his station if he caused any trouble for her. She had only smiled at that when asked.

"I was looking for XO Pressly, actually," she replied. "I need to go to the pyramid."

"Orders were that no one here leaves the ship," he said, noticing the excitement in her voice. "You figured it out?

"Well, I may have, but I need to get to the pyramid to see if it works," Tali pleaded. "Can't you just leave the door unlocked and look the other way for a while? I can take care of myself."

"No one is permitted to go to the pyramid alone, " a serious voice sounded in back of them. "Did I hear you say you were successful?"

"Corporal Lancer," Joker interrupted. "I was just telling these scientists that they'd have to see you to escort them to the pyramid. They may have found a way to seal it."

"Corporal, please, time is of the essence," the quarian begged.

"We have a little over an hour until dusk, we will need to be quick, " the marine responded.

"Let me get my pack and I'll meet you by the airlock, " Tali answered as she dashed through the ship.

The marines followed, waiting at the airlock for her return.

"I guess we're going right now, " Teagan said to the pilot.

'You better get over there if you're going with them, doesn't look like they're going to wait for anyone," Joker replied. "Good luck!"

The brisk walk over to the pyramid was uneventful, but the marines were very wary. Dusk was a perfect time for an attack. At Tali's instruction, the front spotlights were turned on, much to the corporal's chagrin. He was starting to have second thoughts about this unauthorized visit. He had hoped to get in and out quickly, without drawing any attention. The lights had quelled any thoughts of stealth.

With her datapad in hand, the quarian examined the engravings to the left of the pyramid's opening. To her dismay, half of the runes she needed to complete the pattern had been on the section that had disolved away into the doorway.

"Thirty minutes and we're out of here," Corporal Lancer said as she walked past him into the interior of the pyramid.

As she stepped inside, Tali was amazed by the effect of the pyramid's natural illumination. The soft glow of the walls highlighted the runes and hieroglyphs. She had heard mention of it in the vids, but to actually see it was breathtaking. To the left of the opening, she found the symbols that she had been looking for, but this time, only the second half of the sequence.

Then it struck her, the pyramid was never meant to be closed from the outside. Testing her instinct, she touched the runes. Nothing happened, as she had expected. She moved to the outside pattern and touched the first rune. It glowed brightly. Now she was sure and paused as a difficult decision was before her. Knowing what was at stake, the choice was easy and she slipped on her pack before going any further. The others, seeing the bright rune, came over to watch. One of the marines ventured inside.

"Everyone out here please, " the quarian requested. "I need to concentrate to get this right."

The marine who had wandered in, quickly cleared out, eager to have her continue. Tali glanced at her datapad even though the sequence was burned in her memory. As she activated the runes on the outside of the pyramid, a familiar hum sounded and began to increase in volume. As Teagan and the marines took a step back, the quarian stepped inside. Unconsciously holding her breath, she again touched the interior rune. This time, it glowed brightly. With one last glance at the group clustered outside, she touched the remaining runes in sequence and stepped back further into the pyramid's interior.

The turian's expression turned to one of horror as he realized what she had just done. He watched helplessly as the opening shimmered and began to swirl counter clockwise. Within seconds, the opening was gone, replaced by a solid wall. Tali witnessed it with mixed feelings as the elation of her success faded and the realization that she was trapped inside took hold.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Corporal Lancer nervously stood at attention in the center of the comm room and glanced at the pacing navigator. Upon their return to the ship, Pressly had been waiting for them and ushered them quickly into the comm room. His invitation did not include the turian, who quietly made his way toward the bridge. He also did not seem overly concerned that their group was one fewer. The navigator never did seem to pay much attention to any of the other races. A smile crossed the XO's face as the corporal relayed the story.

"So, the pyramid is sealed? " Pressly asked, single minded in his focus.

"Yes, sir," Lancer replied, "but at a heavy cost."

"Heavy, cost, nothing," the navigator answered not noticing the sharp looks on the faces of the marines. "It is the results that matter."

"Lt. Moreau, " he ordered, "get Councilor Anderson on the line. He should be happy to hear of the corporal's success."

The marine started to speak, then thought better of it. He wanted no part of the claim to success. The quarian had worked hard to solve the puzzle and had sacrificed herself to close the pyramid. He knew the Councilor would hold her actions in much higher regard than the XO. Lancer didn't even realize the command had been given to Joker until he heard the pilot's serious response. In his time on board the Normandy, he didn't think he had ever heard Joker addressed by his real name. It was so different without the spectre's presence on board. He hoped that she was OK somewhere out there.

"Patching Councilor Anderson thorough, sir," Joker announced, without a hint of his usual personality.

"XO Pressly here, Councilor, sorry to inconvenience you," the navigator stated and began to relate the story.

"I take it you were on the Normandy the whole time, I want to hear it from someone who was there," Anderson interrupted, taking exception to the navigator's haughty tone.

"Corporal Lancer, here, sir, I've been there through most of it, sir," the marine spoke up hesitantly.

"Good, please start at the beginning, the reports we've been receiving lately are a bit sketchy," the councilor encouraged.

Actually, the council had not received a detailed report since Shepard disappeared through the portal. The spectre had sent them an unofficial message right before she went in explaining what had happened and the reasons for her actions. She had alluded to the vids and the chronicle of events they could witness there. Her spectre status alone should countermand the court martial the Alliance was calling for abandoning her command. That was still under discussion. The council was divided on other questions this mission had uncovered. How to explain the presence of the Geth and their trapping of an interior planet? The bizarre behavior of the salarians? How to locate the spectre and her missing team? This assignment had raised more questions and as yet had provided few answers. He hoped the marine had some good news for a change, but from the tone of the man's voice, doubted it.

It was much later on when the corporal finally finished his report. Lancer's observations were valuable and his account crisp. Anderson made a note to remember this marine. As his report drew to a close, the crew assembled in the comm room shuffled nervously as the councilor on the line was silent.

"Um, Councilor, are you still there?" Pressly ventured the question on everyone's mind.

"Yes, Pressly," Anderson replied, his barely controlled rage evident in those two words. "I am trying to think of a way to explain to the council how we lost the quarian delegate's daughter."

The navigator paled at the councilor's words, he had no idea that any of the aliens had political connections.

"Your orders, Councilor?" the XO asked, tentatively.

"Officially, your orders come from Alliance command," Anderson simmered, wondering why he never noticed the incompetence of this officer. Probably because Shepard had handled everything before and Pressly could concentrate on navigation. He would make sure to pass his opinion on to Alliance command at the first opportunity.

"If I were you, though, I would get in a position where I could monitor the comm channels and keep an eye on ground activity. Somewhere in orbit where you can use the strengths of the Normandy," Anderson added, knowing full well that Pressly would do whatever he recommended. "And I want reports from you daily, even if it's to tell us nothing happened."

"Yes, Councilor, " the navigator replied meekly, unsure if Anderson even heard his reply. The councilor had terminated the connection rather loudly.

"Lt. Moreau, " Pressly ordered, "proceed as the councilor suggested."

"Yes sir," Joker replied, studying the controls in front of him. "All stations, prepare for takeoff."

The comm room emptied quietly as everyone returned to their assignments. The pilot glanced at the turian who was standing at his side, crestfallen at the loss of the quarian.

"Thank you, Joker," Teagan said quietly as he handed back the extra headset.

"No, problem, anyone ignored by Pressly is a friend of mine, " he responded with a smile. "You better get strapped in."

"I think I have time for a word with the Chief Engineer before we go, she would have wanted him to know," the turian replied respectfully.

"Yeah, well it just might take me a few minutes longer to get moving then, you go talk to Adams," Joker answered, his opinion of the turian had just upped a notch.

Tali walked the perimeter of the pyramid, comparing the engravings on the wall to the datapad's catalog of markings that she had compiled. She had just wanted something to keep her mind engaged. The quarian had enough supplies in her pack to survive for a few days, so she was not concerned about her immediate future. Her attention kept wavering to the column of light at the center of the chamber and she stepped closer, feeling it's pull. Making up her mind, she returned the datapad to her pack and secured the fastenings to her suit. Taking a deep breath to steady her nerves, she stepped into the light.

Garrus was just about to swing the Mako forward when there was a loud thump on the roof. Shepard was the first out of her seat followed by the krogan.

"Everyone stay put, Wrex come with me," the commander's orders were short.

The two left the Mako with weapons drawn. The spectre moved quickly to the ladder at the rear of the vehicle and scaled it easily. The krogan covered her with his assault rifle, all senses alert.

"Damn, I don't believe it," Shepard exclaimed, holstering her pistol.

Wrex shared in her disbelief as the face of the spectre poked over the side of the Mako's roof, followed immediately by Tali's unique helmet.

"This was quite unexpected, " the quarian said solemnly.

The spectre and krogan shared a glance and broke out into laughter that understatement. After checking that the quarian was unhurt by her fall, the commander led her to the front of the vehicle. Opening the Mako door with a grin, Shepard looked at the expectant faces of the team.

"You'll never guess who dropped in on us, " she couldn't help using the pun.

Everyone piled out of the transport and quickly surrounded the quarian.

"You're lucky we had to put the shelters and bedding on the roof. Would have been a harder landing otherwise," Ashley said after the initial exclamations of surprise calmed down.

"Where are the salarians? " Tali asked, noticing that they were not part of the group.

"That's a long story," Shepard replied, before anyone blurted out a quick answer.

"And what's happening on Binhtu?" Garrus quickly asked the question on most of their minds.

"Wait," the spectre's tone was stern as the team looked toward her. "Looks like we're not going anywhere for a while, let's get a bit more comfortable and we can all hear what's happened."

They unloaded some crates and soon were all settled around a fire. The flickering light and rapt listeners reminded the chief of one of her long ago family camping trips. Only this time the campfire stories were more bizarre and they were real.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

Stories were shared and the conversation became more general. Looking around the gathered group, Ashley was the first to notice the absence of one twelve year old.

"Um, anyone seen Rayn?" the chief asked, standing and letting her eyes adjust to the natural illumination of the cavern.

"I will check the Mako, " Shiala volunteered.

The noise level escalated as the group jumped to their feet. The spectre motioned everyone to silence, watching the Mako door. The asari quickly reappeared, shaking her head. Shepard kicked dirt on the fire, quieting its crackle as it doused the extraneous light.

"We'll probably hear her before we see her, " Shepard commented quietly as she began directing groups toward different tunnels.

"Two hundred paces, then come back," she instructed. "We don't need anyone getting lost."

The spectre had intentionally taken the tunnel they had originally explored. Knowing that it was already marked, she hoped to explore a bit further than she had directed the others. A comforting presence at her side settled her thoughts as she checked her weapons before setting out.

"You are certain she took this path?" T'Soni asked, reading the determination in her lover's stride.

"I'd bet on it, I just hope she doesn't scare up another one of those monsters," the spectre replied, her mind distracted.

"Why would she do this?" Liara asked. The worried look on the asari's face betrayed her feelings.

"We'll find out, look here," Shepard stopped to point at an impression in the soft dirt of the floor. The small footprint led away from them and had obliterated the other prints that had come before it.

They silently covered the distance, tunnel to tunnel, always following Ashley's lower markings. They were occasionally rewarded with a stray footprint, confirming the girl's path. The commander hoped that Rayn was paying attention when they spoke of the chief's special markings. If she got lost in these endless tunnels, they would have little chance of finding her.

The asari's sensitive ears caught the sounds first and she grabbed the spectre's arm as she motioned for silence. The soft voices were unrecognizable at first, but became clearer as they inched closer.

"You're not coming with us, Pravin," Rayn explained with an eerie calm.

"This was all just a misunderstanding, we should go back to the group and talk it over with the commander," the salarian pleaded.

"No, she may have to take you back, you're not coming," the youngster's voice delivered the death sentence. "You can take your chances on your own, but I won't let you go back there."

Just as the pair emerged from the tunnel, the salarian rushed at the girl and was lifted high into the air. The look on his face went from rage, to disbelief, to horror. The spectre glanced at her partner who responded to the unspoken question with a shake of her head.

"Rayn, put him down, he can't hurt any of us any longer," Shepard struggled to keep her voice calm.

Surprise mingled with relief as the youngster noticed who had joined her. She sheepishly looked at the cubes in her hand.

"You were right, Commander," Rayn began. "I couldn't make them bigger, but I could make more of them. That does increase the effect."

The spectre looked at the salarian, suspended in the air. His torn uniform and the wild look in his eyes told of his experiences since breeching the portal. Shepard also noticed that he did not appear to have any weapons.

"Release him, it's time for us to go," the commander repeated her request, this time more firmly.

At that moment, the scene in the chamber erupted as a very angry krogan came barreling into the room with his assault rifle in his hands. Garrus was not far behind, but stopped at the threshold to assess the situation before him. Time seemed to slow for the spectre and she saw the events unfold with startling clarity, but was unable to intercede in time. As Wrex raised his weapon to fire on the salarian, Rayn activated another cube and the blue flare of a kinetic shield shimmered on Pravin's body. The bullets from the short burst of fire glanced harmlessly off the scientist. His look of relief quickly changed to one of pain as his shriek echoed in the large chamber.

As the group looked on helplessly, the salarian's body seemed to be drawn into itself, his extremities pulled into the core. Ashley came running into the cavern, her rifle at the ready just in time to see a misshapen blue and red tinted lump come crashing to the cave floor with a sickening wet splat. Shiala and Tali were the last to arrive, their eyes quickly taking in the stunned faces around them.

Liara was the first to shake the paralysis that had seemed to grip them all and rushed over to kneel beside the shocked girl and scoop her into her arms. The powerful cube fell from her small numb fingers and shattered as it hit the ground. The weak electrical pop did not do justice to the amount of energy that had been concentrated in that small container. Rayn buried her face on the asari's shoulder as the sobs wracked her thin frame. The hulking battlemaster quickly holstered his rifle and went over to the kneeling asari, placing his hand on Rayn's head. As the youngster felt his touch, she turned to the krogan and was tenderly swept up into his arms. He turned slowly and started walking back down the tunnel, his soft whispers fading quickly as they retreated from the chamber. Liara glanced over at the spectre and shared a concerned look before following the krogan back to the Mako.

Shepard stepped over to the remains of the scientist, unable to believe that the mass before her had been a sentient creature moments before. The girl had tremendous potential, but just had her first failure come crashing in, to a deadly result. Hopefully her resolve would match her mind, but time alone would tell.

"I do not understand what happened here," Shiala broke the silence that had descended on them.

"Rayn must have heard Pravin and followed him to this cavern. When we found them, he was on the far side and she was here," the spectre pointed to area they had just vacated. "When he saw us, he tried to rush her, but she was ready this time. She built a small device that mimics biotic powers. She lifted him. But then Wrex came in and tried to pick him off. I guess that she's been working on variations, because she was able to generate a shield. Looks like she got singularity to work too, but not exactly as she had planned."

"This is all that's left of Pravin?" Shiala asked, horrified.

The spectre just nodded in answer.

"Commander, I'll take care of this, they may need help with the girl," Garrus suggested quietly.

"I will help in whatever way I can," Tali added. The chief also offered her assistance.

Shepard looked at each of them in turn and was struck by the sincerity and concern on their faces. This rag tag group of aliens had come together in a way that no one would have ever been able to predict. She nodded her thanks and turned to walk away, leaving Tali, Ashley and Garrus in quiet conversation.

The elder asari fell in stride beside her and they retraced their steps in silent camaraderie. At the campsite, Wrex was sitting in front of the extinguished fire, staring at the ring as if it were ready to spring to life. He barely glanced up as they came into view. Shepard continued over to the Mako leaving Shiala with the krogan. The spectre quietly entered the vehicle, hearing the doctor's soft voice speaking to her charge. The commander stood before the girl, hands on her hips.

"You gave us quite a scare young lady, " Shepard chided. "Running off like that. What were you thinking?"

Liara looked sharply at the spectre and only a glance kept her from jumping to the girl's defense. Rayn looked up and could not meet the commander's eyes.

"I am so sorry," the girl began, tears falling freely.

"Good, then don't run off again," the spectre responded brusquely.

"That's not what I meant, Commander," Rayn countered.

"Then what, Rayn?" Shepard answered, again sharply.

"I killed Pravin. I can still hear his scream, " the young scientist whispered.

"No, girl, one of your tools may have been the ultimate cause, but if you didn't try to save him, he would have already been dead, by Wrex's hand. You gave him the only chance he had. It just didn't work out that way," Shepard's tone softened as she bent down to be level with the twelve year old. Cupping her chin, she brought Rayn's eyes up and forced her to look into her own.

"You are a brave and noble soul, Rayn Gwyneth, but you still are human," the spectre said. "We have flaws, we make mistakes, we're not perfect. Get used to it."

Shepard wiped away the tears and was heartened when no new ones were to be seen. She glanced over at Liara and was met with a confused stare. Reaching into her pocket, the spectre pulled out her communicator.

"I need you to find us a way out, Rayn. Think you can use this to get us to the surface?" Shepard asked the girl, handing her the device.

Rayn accepted the comm link with a thoughtful nod.

"Commander," she whispered softly, "it wasn't supposed to throw singularity."

"I know Rayn, you'll fix that with the next one you build. For now, we need to get out of here before our power runs out," the spectre's response was gentle.

"I think I'll need Tali's help, she is very good with guidance systems, we should be able to rig something," Rayn's attention was already fixed on the device as she turned it over in her hand.

Popping open one of the storage compartments, the spectre pointed out the tools and extra components that were part of the Mako's inventory. The young scientist wasted no time in digging into the stock.

"I'll send Tali in to help," Shepard added, moving to guide the asari to the door. "And I'll try to keep everyone else out to give you some room to work, but I'm not too sure about your watchdog, he may be hard to dissuade."

A ghost of a smile flickered across Rayn's face as she tried to picture anyone getting in Wrex's way. The girl went back to the tools and barely noticed when the commander and doctor left the Mako.

"You are very good with her," Liara commented as soon as they had closed the door. "I would have been still trying to comfort her."

"She's a thinker, Li," the spectre responded. "She can't disagree with the logic. It's just hard to cut through the emotion some time. Rayn's a smart, tough kid. She'll get over it and use the lesson. We need her mind now though, we really don't have that much time."

The commander's insight and determination never ceased to amaze the asari. After a quick glance at the others, the asari leaned over and stole a quick kiss. The spectre smiled and ran her hand down the side of her lover's face, dangerously close to losing herself in those deep blue eyes. Somehow, with the calming presence at her side, the spectre knew they would be successful. It was just a matter of time. With lighter hearts, they went to join the others. The commander sent T'Soni over to Shiala's side so that she could have a difficult but necessary conversation. Wrex looked up as the commander stood in front of him.

"That was a pretty stupid thing to do, firing on him," she challenged the krogan.

"What's it to you, Shepard, no one else was going to put the bastard out of his misery," the battle master responded, standing to tower over the spectre.

"I ordered him to be released," she said savagely, advancing a step closer to the krogan. "Next time you deliberately disobey an order, I'll put a bullet through that thick skull of yours and put you out of your misery. You want in, you follow orders. Got that?"

By the time she was done speaking, she had moved so close to him that he had to crane his neck downward to see her blazing eyes. The krogan knew he could crush this puny human with minimal effort, but he respected her fire and fearlessness. Somehow, he also craved her respect and had never felt a part of anything before joining this crew. It irked him that she probably knew this as well. He thumped back down to his seat rolling his eyes at this insolent human. Now looking up to her, he smiled showing his wickedly sharp teeth and nodded his agreement.

"So, how's the kid?" Wrex asked as if nothing had just transpired between them.

"She'll be OK, I blamed it on a stupid krogan who can't follow orders," Shepard's response was delivered with a smile. "I have her working on a new project, one that's near and dear to all of us."

"Good, so maybe we'll get out of here?" he asked.

"We'll see," Shepard responded as she drew her pistol and sent one incendiary round into the heart of the everlog they had been using to fuel the fire. She laughed as the krogan jumped at the unexpected shot and sat next to him to await the others.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

"Wrex, please sit down or go find something in a tunnel to shoot," Shepard told the pacing krogan.

"What could they possibly be doing? Why do we have to wait out here?" the battle master's impatience was getting on everyone's nerves.

"Because then they'd have to put up with you annoying them every minute with stupid questions," the gunnery chief eagerly joined the conversation, though in reality, she was chomping at the bit every much as the krogan. She was just better at hiding it.

Wrex started to answer, then thought better of it and stomped off to the marked tunnel.

"Seriously, Commander," Ashley said quietly, "think we should check on them? Maybe they need help."

"You're as bad as the big lug, Ash," Shepard replied with a smile. "They'll come get us if they need anything."

Rayn and Tali had been sequestered in the Mako ever since the quarian had returned from her grim task. She had taken one look at the communicator, grabbed the girl by her hand and in no uncertain words told them all to stay out. The first hour had passed quickly, the easy companionship of the team occupying their attention. The second hour found them glancing from time to time at the cron then back to the Mako door. Now, almost three hours later, the restlessness had set in.

"C'mon, Li, want to take a walk?" the spectre asked, standing and extending her hand to the asari. "I want to show you something."

"I'll come find you if they ever come out, " the chief offered in a voice that only the pair could hear, a grin on her face. "And try to have some clothing on."

"Don't worry, Ash, we won't be too far," Shepard answered, smiling at the blush rising on the doctor's face. "And don't worry, we can get dressed pretty quickly."

Ashley was left shaking her head, the smile still playing on her face. As the pair left the circle, Ashley moved over to talk to the older asari and jumped right into their conversation.

As soon as the pair rounded the bend in the tunnel, the commander felt the asari's hand slip into her own. After a quick squeeze, Shepard slipped her arm around the doctor's waist and pulled her closer, planting a kiss on the side of her cheek. They continued down the tunnel for a time in quiet companionship, drawing strength from each other's presence. The spectre slowed, examining the wall to her right until she found what she was looking for. A slight bend in the tunnel hid a narrow passage, almost parallel to the main tunnel which led to a small alcove.

"I found this earlier, you like it?" Shepard asked softly as she watched her lover's face light up.

The small niche they had entered was roughly circular in shape. Their eyes were drawn to the far quarter of the wall which glistened with water softly spilling from the ceiling into a quiet pool on the cave floor. The water was a soft trickle that played with the natural luminance and gurgled with the happy exuberance of an infant. Liara approached the wall and touched the cascading water.

"You amaze me," the asari said quietly, her attention captured by the waterfall. "I cannot believe you discovered this."

The spectre spread an emergency blanket on the ground and came over to stand behind the doctor. Her hands gently encircled the scientist's waist as her lips teased the curve of her neck. Liara relaxed back into her lover's embrace, but did not withdraw her hand from the water.

"What's so interesting, love?" the spectre breathed, noticing the asari's distraction.

"Well, it is time to either celebrate or to panic," the doctor explained. "The water is warm, which means we are either close to the surface or close to a volcanic layer."

"Hmm, how about we think about that later?" the commander breathed, turning the asari to face her. "I can think of something else to do right now."

Shepard led her willing partner to the blanket and slowly lowered her, never losing contact. Any further conversation was lost as their lips met. Shepard's hands and mouth worked to show the asari how much she was loved. Neither noticed the damp air or hard floor as they shed their clothing and shared each other body and spirit.

Some time later, they heard the marine walking down the main tunnel. Shepard called to their friend, but made no move to rise. The chief found them contentedly gazing at the water, listening to its song. The spectre was sitting with her back to cavern wall, her arms around the asari nestled in front of her. Ashley felt a pang of regret at disturbing them, so instead sat down next to the spectre.

"I must have missed this cave the first time through," the chief commented quietly. "It's beautiful."

"You were a little preoccupied last time," Shepard answered softly. "I stumbled on it on my way back."

Looking at the scene, a verse came to the marine's lips:

"The purl of a runlet that never ceases

In stir of kingdoms, in wars, in peaces;

With a hollow boiling voice it speaks

And has spoken since hills were turfless peaks."

The spectre broke the silence with a sigh.

"So, our recluses come up with anything yet?" she spectre asked.

"No, but Wrex is getting hungry to go with his impatience," Ashley answered. "I think we have to disturb them, at least to bring out some supplies. Garrus has been doing a good job distracting him, but we're running out of ideas. When I left, Wrex and Shiala were starting a biotic version of arm wrestling. I'm not sure how long that'll last, especially since she's stronger than he is."

"I guess we should be getting back, then," Liara's voice had a dreamy quality and Ashley couldn't help but notice that she pulled the spectre's arms more tightly around her.

"I'll meet you back there," the chief said, slowly rising.

Shepard kissed the back of the asari's neck and reluctantly moved her arms. Liara disengaged and stumbled forward as she stood, her muscles stiff from the damp floor. Ashley grabbed the asari's arm to help her regain her balance, but not before the scientist dropped to one knee.

"By the Goddess," Liara exclaimed.

Her attention was focused on a spot far above them, at a particular angle that had not been visible from their vantage point. Ashley followed her line of sight and gasped at what she saw.

"We're coming with you, Ash, just need a minute to stretch out," the spectre said as she stood, then she noticed that they were not paying any mind to what she was saying.

The spectre dropped to their side and glanced up to share their view. At the top of a cleft in the wall, a ray of sunlight shone clear and bright. The friends broke into grins and whooped their delight, grabbing each other in an elated hug.

"How did you miss that?" the chief asked, grinning at the commander.

"Something else had my complete attention," the spectre replied, smirking at the asari.

"That's not it at all," Liara laughed, then blushed furiously as she noticed her friends looking at her.

"Well?" Ashley prodded, amused that to the asari was joining in their bantering.

The doctor leaned over and whispered in the chief's ear, causing the marine to break out in a hearty laugh as she glanced at the spectre's confused look.

"Stay here, I'll get the crew and be right back. We don't want to lose this place," the chief called, already in motion.

The spectre looked up at the cleft in the cave roof and just shook her head.

"We are very lucky you spotted that," Shepard said, coming over to put her hands on the asari's hips.

"So what did you tell Ashley," the spectre asked as she pulled the doctor close.

"Well, um, just that you would never have seen it," Liara answered with a grin. "Because you were on top the whole time."

Shepard responded by tickling the asari until tears came to her eyes, then kissing her deeply. They disengaged as they heard excited voices in the tunnel.

"In here, "the spectre called and a small head popped around the alcove's entrance.

Rayn was followed closely by the rest of the crew and suddenly the small room was a jumble of sound. The spectre stepped back and watched as Liara and Ashley positioned each person so that they could see the shaft. She smiled as they tried to get the krogan into position and wound up having to have him lie on the floor. The excitement was high and everyone was talking at once.

Tali and Rayn detached themselves from the huddle in the center and came over to the bemused commander.

"So, any luck?" the spectre asked.

"Of course, Commander," the quarian answered amusement in her tone. "What else would you expect from your girl genius here?"

"That isn't true, Commander," Rayn piped up. "Tali is the one who rebuilt it."

"We were going to say that we had to wait to get a signal, but we do have a path to the surface here," Tali added, carefully withdrawing the device from her pocket and handing it to the spectre. "You do the honors, Commander."

An expectant hush fell over the crew as the others noticed what was happening at the far side of the cave. Shepard walked over so that she was positioned under the shaft. She slowly glanced down at the communicator and clicked the control to link to a comm buoy. A wide grin slowly split her face.

"We have signal," she said and was answered by a chorus of cheers and laughter. "OK, quiet now, let's see if we can hail them."

"Shepard to Normandy," she said loudly, mostly for the benefit of the team.

A moment of static was followed by silence. The team held their breath as all eyes and ears were focused on the commander.

"Come in Normandy, Joker, talk to me," Shepard almost pleaded.

"Damn, Commander, is that really you?" the surprised pilot's voice was drowned out by the shouts and cheers of the team.

"Are you under attack?" Joker asked, panicky as the noise grew.

After a few unsuccessful attempts, Shepard managed to get everyone calmed down. The chief's threats helped a bit with that.

"We're fine, just really glad to hear you," the commander answered. "Can you trace our signal?"

"Already on it, Ma'am, let me patch you into the XO," the pilot quickly regained his composure and his cool efficiency took over.

Shepard spent the next few hours in short conversations with the Normandy and the Council. She kept the chatter short, conserving the communicator's power. The Normandy was enroute and soon this misadventure would come to a close. The team was gathered around the fire, sharing their last meal in these caves. Their spirits were high and the sounds of laughter were loudest.

Shepard quietly slipped away and returned to the tunnels, so many unanswered questions in her mind. How would the salarians respond to the news of this mission? What would they do with Rayn? Would the older asari want to join them in their hunt for the reapers? They had learned so much from the pyramid, but they still had to put it all together. Shepard didn't feel any closer to finding her elusive prey.

The spectre's brooding was interrupted as she felt a quiet presence enter the room. Her spirits rose as she was drawn into a warm embrace. The questions faded with the first kiss as the human and asari began their celebration.

* * *

_A/N - Verse is from "Under the Waterfall" by Thomas Hardy. Tried to use someone Ashley had quoted in the game._

_Thanks to everyone for sticking with me through this story. Hope you enjoyed it. Also, thanks for all the review, they kept this going longer than I originally intended. Feedback on the overall story would be greatly appreciated. Also, one last question – what would you like to see next? _


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